Hola a todos!!
This this past weekend was spent in Barcelona. On Monday of last week until Thursday morning, my friend from Santa Barbara, Carissa, stayed with me. Then Anna came on Thursday afternoon and left Monday morning. So this is the first time in a week I've had my room to myself! It was SO much fun having both of them in Barcelona and showing them around. Since Carissa came when I was busy with class, she kept herself busy during the day with her other friend she came with. Then, I was able to go to class and get my homework done, and then I hung out with her at night. It was a lot of fun and she really loved Barcelona!
So on Thursday afternoon Anna came with her family friend Stuart. Us three, Anna's friend from Brown who is also studying in Barcelona (Hannah), and my friend Emily all made dinner at my place. It was a lot of fun eating dinner with a big group and catching up. Anna and I did not go out Thursday night because we were exhausted. On Friday morning, Anna came with me to my gym and we had a great workout. Then, we packed lunches and headed to Parc Guell where we met up with a bunch of friends.
We enjoyed our sandwiches and wine with an amazing view of the city and great company. There was a great group of musical performers, so as usual, Anna and I got up and danced with each other to the music in front of the crowd. It was such an amazing picnic and such nice weather! We then proceeded to walk across the city (took about an hour and a half) towards the beach. We enjoyed gelato then headed home in the early evening.
On Saturday Anna and I got up early (at least by Barcelona standards: 9am) and headed towards mountains about an hour outside of the city. The Monsterrat mountains are known for their unique form and a monestary that lays on top. As the majority of people take a cable car up to the top of the mountain, Anna and I hiked up. It took about 1.5 hours and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE!! The views were stunning and the hike was challenging. I really cannot explain how beautiful it was, but as we ascended the views got better and better. It was so steep at some points Anna and I were basically rock climbing then climbing steep stairs.
When we got to the top, there was sort of a farmer's market. So, exhausted, we walked around and sampled loads of cheese and fruits, then enjoyed our packed sandwiches with outstanding views of the Spanish mountains and countryside. It was so great to get outside of the city and enjoy the majestic views of Barcelona, especially with Anners! After a couple hours, we climbed down then got back around 6pm. We went to a couple bars to enjoy some beer and socialize, then went to sleep pretty early.
On Sunday we went to mountains on the outskirts of Barcelona that have the "best views of Barcelona". It is called Tibidabo, and there is kind of a carnival there (hard to explain, but small rides with cotton candy and ice cream). We went up to the top of a church, which by far was the best view of Barcelona I have ever seen. It was such a beautiful day, so Anna and I literally just sat on top of the church for hours examining the city. Again, it was so great to relax and reflect on life with Anners. It was so relaxing. Alongside with the trip to Monsterrat, this day made this weekend my favorite weekend in Barcelona.
Now, I am just focused on school. I am keeping up with homework and studying (I have a midterm next week). And I am going to Amsterdam this weekend (21st birthday on Saturday!!!!!!). I cannot wait -- there is a group of 10 coming from across Europe! WOO HOOOOO and we are couch surfing and I cannot wait!!! Obviously, I think you can see my excitement for the weekend.
I signed up for a 10k race in Barcelona! It is April 10. I am doing it with my friend Nathalie and so we have been hitting up the treadmill the past couple weeks! I am really exciting for that, and I have never participated in a race before!
I booked a flight to the Canary Islands (off of Africa) in the end of April... get ready for a whole new shade of Kate!! (don't worry Charlotte, I will wear sunscreen!) Tomorrow I plan on booking a flight to Berlin in May, and Anna and I discussed going to Turkey in May as well.
Hmmm what else?!? Not much... and next time you hear from me I will be 21!! Watch out! (just kidding... kind of)
xoxo
Granada, Spain
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Dublin, Ireland!
(more pics to come in a little)
So I just got back from Dublin, Ireland. I was there for the weekend celebrating St. Patrick's Day and it was absolutely amazing! It was SOOOOO much fun and I was with the best group of people. There was a group of 6 of us that went together. We are all best friends in Santa Barbara and are currently studying all throughout Europe, so this was our weekend where we were reunited. It was also my good friend Emily Wondolleck's birthday, so on top of celebrating St. Patty's day, we were also celebrating her birthday at the same time.
We arrived Thursday around noon, and by the time we got to our hostel it was around 3pm. After getting settled in our hostel, we started our celebrations! Oh, and Dublin is arguably the most expensive place in Europe, so prior to arriving we brought a bunch of food for the weekend and bought alcohol at the Barcelona airport (which was about half as cheap as everything they sold in Dublin), so we were very happy we did that to save money. Late Friday afternoon we got dressed in all our St. Patty's gear and headed out to the parade and the bars. It was absolutely crazy!!!! Everyone was dressed in ALL green (facepaint and everything) and people of ALL ages were out in the streets drinking. But let me tell you, the Irish girls are very unattractive, me and my friends were all in shock staring at them. No joke, they had a pound of foundation and makeup on and looked like prostitutes with fishnets and their stomachs hanging out. It was quite a culture shock.
Anyways, we celebrated St. Patty's day until late Friday night. There was one street with several bars, so we basically bar hopped around all the bars. It was SO much fun and definitely the best St. Patty's day I have had in a long time!
On Friday we woke up and started wondering around Dublin. We discovered they had a Forever 21 (!!!!!!) so we got distracted in there for a couple hours. Next, we walked about an hour around town to the Guinness Factory. We went in the storehouse and did a tour around, learning all about the process of making beer, and Guinness especially. At the end of the tour we got a free pint of Guinness, which we enjoyed on the top of the building with amazing views of the city. I think that was the first time I have ever had Guinness, so I was a little scared to try it at first but it was quite delicious! I could barely finish a glass, though, because it was so heavy.
One of the girls I was with has a best friend studying in Dublin. So, on Friday night we headed to his house, where he had a small party with other people studying in Dublin. We played drinking games all night and it was great just hanging out with a small group of people, rather than being so overwhelmed by hundreds of people at a bar or discoteca. So that was a great night, and so great to be there drinking with my best friends from Santa Barbara, some of whom I haven't seen since June!
Saturday was a long day. We woke up at 7am to take a bus to the Ireland countryside, a day trip that took all day. The main destination of the bus was the Cliffs of Moher (otherwise known as the Cliffs of Insanity in the Princess Bride)! But first, we saw a couple castles and ruins, and visited a couple small Irish towns. It was really quite beautiful, everything was SO green! The houses were so adorable as well and it was great to see some major castles and ruins in rural Ireland. Once we made it to the cliffs, we had a couple hours to hike on them and take pictures. Will - I was thinking of you the whole time because the Princess Bride is your favorite movie!! But the cliffs were absolutely STUNNING. It was SOO beautiful. It was about a mile of luscious green fields that suddenly dropped vertically into the ocean. Look at the pictures to see. But it was amazing and all I kept thinking was the Princess Bride!
After the long day trip to the countryside, we arrived back in Dublin at 8pm. We relaxed, ate dinner, then celebrated Emily's birthday night! (Her birthday was on Sunday, so Saturday was the main day we celebrated it) We drank at the hostel with a couple other people staying there (from Germany, Brasil, and Holland) and then headed into town! We went to a couple bars and had the best time ever!!! Everyone was buying Emily drinks for her birthday and we danced the night away! I ran into a couple friends that are studying with me in Barcelona, so it was great to see them as well. It was quite strange, though because the bars closed at 2. We are definitely not used to that here in Barcelona because they close here at 5am.
On Sunday we wondered around a little, got lunch, then got on our flight back to Barcelona! It was an AMAZING weekend that I will never forget! Oh, and let me tell you the hostel was very bad. First, we slept in the TV room because they were overbooked. There was one bathroom to be shared with the whole hostel (which often got clogged and wouldn't flush) and no mirrors anywhere! And let me tell you, girls need mirrors to get ready! Also, the hostel workers would just hang out and drink with us and wouldn't answer the phone when it rang. Quite strange, but at least it was cheap!
The weekend before last, Tori Dumont and Dana Hansen came to Barcelona! (Dana studying in Seville, and Tori came for her spring break from Arizona!) Dana, Emily, and I woke up SOOO early on Saturday to pick up Tori from the airport, and we made quite a scene when we reunited! It was too bad, however, because when Tori visited is when it rained. It rained literally the whole time she was here! But we still had an amazing time, showing her around Barcelona and taking her out on the town!
School is starting to pick up, and I actually find myself doing homework and studying! My Economics class is getting a little difficult, and my teacher is not a very nice Spanish man. All of the homeworks and quizzes are in Catalan, so every time I have to go up to him and have him translate it. Quite annoying.
This week I have many visitors! My friend Carissa from Santa Barbara, who is studying in Rome, is staying with me for three days. I am so excited to see her! (She is the one I ran into in a club in Prague, very random!) She comes today while I am in class, so her other friend is going to meet her from the airport. Then, Anna Heery is coming to Barcelona for the weekend! I had the best time with her when I went to Paris, so I cannot wait to see her again and I already have many things planned for us!
And I am about to book more trips for May and April! This is what I am literally a click away from booking:
-Berlin (sometime in June, I have to figure out my finals schedule)
-Canary Islands and Morocco (end of April, I plan on flying to the Canary Islands on a Thursday then stop in Morocco for a couple days on the way back because I really want to see Morocco!)
-A road trip around Spain to see Valencia and Granada (early May)
-Turkey (either Istanbul or Izmir, or maybe both!) in late May
Okay, that is about all I can write about right now. I gotta head to the gym before class! LOVE YOU ALL and I cannot wait for more adventures ahead! xoxo
So I just got back from Dublin, Ireland. I was there for the weekend celebrating St. Patrick's Day and it was absolutely amazing! It was SOOOOO much fun and I was with the best group of people. There was a group of 6 of us that went together. We are all best friends in Santa Barbara and are currently studying all throughout Europe, so this was our weekend where we were reunited. It was also my good friend Emily Wondolleck's birthday, so on top of celebrating St. Patty's day, we were also celebrating her birthday at the same time.
We arrived Thursday around noon, and by the time we got to our hostel it was around 3pm. After getting settled in our hostel, we started our celebrations! Oh, and Dublin is arguably the most expensive place in Europe, so prior to arriving we brought a bunch of food for the weekend and bought alcohol at the Barcelona airport (which was about half as cheap as everything they sold in Dublin), so we were very happy we did that to save money. Late Friday afternoon we got dressed in all our St. Patty's gear and headed out to the parade and the bars. It was absolutely crazy!!!! Everyone was dressed in ALL green (facepaint and everything) and people of ALL ages were out in the streets drinking. But let me tell you, the Irish girls are very unattractive, me and my friends were all in shock staring at them. No joke, they had a pound of foundation and makeup on and looked like prostitutes with fishnets and their stomachs hanging out. It was quite a culture shock.
Anyways, we celebrated St. Patty's day until late Friday night. There was one street with several bars, so we basically bar hopped around all the bars. It was SO much fun and definitely the best St. Patty's day I have had in a long time!
On Friday we woke up and started wondering around Dublin. We discovered they had a Forever 21 (!!!!!!) so we got distracted in there for a couple hours. Next, we walked about an hour around town to the Guinness Factory. We went in the storehouse and did a tour around, learning all about the process of making beer, and Guinness especially. At the end of the tour we got a free pint of Guinness, which we enjoyed on the top of the building with amazing views of the city. I think that was the first time I have ever had Guinness, so I was a little scared to try it at first but it was quite delicious! I could barely finish a glass, though, because it was so heavy.
One of the girls I was with has a best friend studying in Dublin. So, on Friday night we headed to his house, where he had a small party with other people studying in Dublin. We played drinking games all night and it was great just hanging out with a small group of people, rather than being so overwhelmed by hundreds of people at a bar or discoteca. So that was a great night, and so great to be there drinking with my best friends from Santa Barbara, some of whom I haven't seen since June!
Saturday was a long day. We woke up at 7am to take a bus to the Ireland countryside, a day trip that took all day. The main destination of the bus was the Cliffs of Moher (otherwise known as the Cliffs of Insanity in the Princess Bride)! But first, we saw a couple castles and ruins, and visited a couple small Irish towns. It was really quite beautiful, everything was SO green! The houses were so adorable as well and it was great to see some major castles and ruins in rural Ireland. Once we made it to the cliffs, we had a couple hours to hike on them and take pictures. Will - I was thinking of you the whole time because the Princess Bride is your favorite movie!! But the cliffs were absolutely STUNNING. It was SOO beautiful. It was about a mile of luscious green fields that suddenly dropped vertically into the ocean. Look at the pictures to see. But it was amazing and all I kept thinking was the Princess Bride!
After the long day trip to the countryside, we arrived back in Dublin at 8pm. We relaxed, ate dinner, then celebrated Emily's birthday night! (Her birthday was on Sunday, so Saturday was the main day we celebrated it) We drank at the hostel with a couple other people staying there (from Germany, Brasil, and Holland) and then headed into town! We went to a couple bars and had the best time ever!!! Everyone was buying Emily drinks for her birthday and we danced the night away! I ran into a couple friends that are studying with me in Barcelona, so it was great to see them as well. It was quite strange, though because the bars closed at 2. We are definitely not used to that here in Barcelona because they close here at 5am.
On Sunday we wondered around a little, got lunch, then got on our flight back to Barcelona! It was an AMAZING weekend that I will never forget! Oh, and let me tell you the hostel was very bad. First, we slept in the TV room because they were overbooked. There was one bathroom to be shared with the whole hostel (which often got clogged and wouldn't flush) and no mirrors anywhere! And let me tell you, girls need mirrors to get ready! Also, the hostel workers would just hang out and drink with us and wouldn't answer the phone when it rang. Quite strange, but at least it was cheap!
The weekend before last, Tori Dumont and Dana Hansen came to Barcelona! (Dana studying in Seville, and Tori came for her spring break from Arizona!) Dana, Emily, and I woke up SOOO early on Saturday to pick up Tori from the airport, and we made quite a scene when we reunited! It was too bad, however, because when Tori visited is when it rained. It rained literally the whole time she was here! But we still had an amazing time, showing her around Barcelona and taking her out on the town!
School is starting to pick up, and I actually find myself doing homework and studying! My Economics class is getting a little difficult, and my teacher is not a very nice Spanish man. All of the homeworks and quizzes are in Catalan, so every time I have to go up to him and have him translate it. Quite annoying.
This week I have many visitors! My friend Carissa from Santa Barbara, who is studying in Rome, is staying with me for three days. I am so excited to see her! (She is the one I ran into in a club in Prague, very random!) She comes today while I am in class, so her other friend is going to meet her from the airport. Then, Anna Heery is coming to Barcelona for the weekend! I had the best time with her when I went to Paris, so I cannot wait to see her again and I already have many things planned for us!
And I am about to book more trips for May and April! This is what I am literally a click away from booking:
-Berlin (sometime in June, I have to figure out my finals schedule)
-Canary Islands and Morocco (end of April, I plan on flying to the Canary Islands on a Thursday then stop in Morocco for a couple days on the way back because I really want to see Morocco!)
-A road trip around Spain to see Valencia and Granada (early May)
-Turkey (either Istanbul or Izmir, or maybe both!) in late May
Okay, that is about all I can write about right now. I gotta head to the gym before class! LOVE YOU ALL and I cannot wait for more adventures ahead! xoxo
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
What a Weekend!
Oh my gosh, where do I start?!!? I had such an amazing weekend in the south of Spain. On Thursday morning (literally woke up at 3am to catch my flight) a group of 10 of us headed to Seville. We arrived and got situated at the hostel and then started walking around town. Seville is SOOSOOOOSOOOOO pretty! It was honestly gorgeous, every street it lined with orange trees and beautiful cathedrals. We headed to a cafe near the river and had a great lunch. we ordered pitchers of margaritas, sex on the beach, and long island iced teas. The sun came out so after a few rounds of pitchers we literally basically just sat and soaked up the sun. It was a perfect afternoon! Afterwards, we did a free walking tour around Seville and then we met up with one of my best friends from high school, Dana Hansen. She is studying in Seville for the semester, so we walked around with her and got some ice cream by the river. It was so great to see her! At night, we did a tapas tour (a big group from the hostel went to 3 tapas bar and got a LOT of food for a set price) and then headed to a Flamenco show, where Dana met us again. The Flamenco show was so cool (and free)!! Those dancers can really dance!
Friday morning the group of us took a 2 hr bus ride to Cadiz. Me and two others couch surfed, so we headed straight to their place. Our couch surfers were so cool!!!! Their names are Pol and David and they used to live in Barcelona. Their apartment was literally on the beach. So for a couple hours, we talked to them on the balcony with an amazing ocean view. It was such a gorgeous day and great to get to know them. Us three even had our own room and own bathroom! There were about 10 other couchsurfers from all over Europe that arrived throughout the day, and EVERYONE was so great! We then met up with our friends at night and wondered around town and went to a couple bars. It was a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends!
So we went to Cadiz mainly for Carnival. It is an incredibly popular holiday in Europe and Cadiz has the biggest party in all of Europe for it. It is basically like Halloween where everyone gets dressed up in extravagent costumes. Everyone of all age groups (literally toddlers to grandmas) wonders the street all day in costume. So on Saturday we woke up and started getting ready for the festivities! Me, Sophie, and Kim (the girls couch surfing with me) basically just wore crazy wigs, bright colors, facepaint, and everything silly we could find). We started drinking with our couch surfers and hosts around 3pm then headed into town around 5ish. IT WAS SO CRAZY!!! Oh my gosh, I thought Halloween in Santa Barbara was crazy, but Europeans surely know how to party! Every street in Cadiz was PACKED with people dressed up and drinking beer. It was so crazy and SO MUCH FUN!!! Maybe one of the funnest days of my life, possibly. Oh, but I lost my camera which really sucks because I had at least 100 pictures. But oh well, life goes on!
Sunday was our traveling day. We woke up and caught a bus back to Seville, then flew out of Seville. It was such a great weekend! And so gorgeous in the south of Spain! And then on Monday I officially moved into my new apartment! I had some friends help me move and I am officially settled in. I live with two Italian girls and one Philipino guy. They are all SOOO great and my apartment is SOOO nice and perfectly located! It is so great and I don't even have enough clothes to fill my closet! And we have an adorable cat named Guidi... I am obsessed with him.
It was Guilia's (one of the Italians) birthday when I moved in so she invited me to her birthday dinner. It was a very nice place with a set price that included unlimited beer, wine, coffee, etc. About 30 of Guilia's friends came to the dinner and it was SO MUCH FUN! I got to meet so many people and everyone was so nice! Everyone knew me as "the new flatmate from California" and everyone that I met asked me that. All of her friends were from all over: Spain, Holland, Italy, Germany, Costa Rica, France, Philipines! So it was quite a diverse group! It was such a great dinner and I am so happy I made new friends!
Hallie Swan (my cousin) was in Barcelona for a couple days with her boyfriend for her Spring Break, so I got to see her yesterday! It was SOOO good to see her, as we haven't seen each other in years! We talked for about 3 hours and then headed to a bar and got a couple drinks. It was so much fun showing her around Barcelona and catching up on each other's lives.
Okay, what else is new? I feel like I have so much to blog about recently! Tori Dumont (friend from high school) is coming to Barcelona for her Spring break from Arizona! She arrives on Saturday and departs on Thursday. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! So, when I was in Seville I convinced Dana Hansen to buy a ticket to Barcelona for the weekend to see Tori. So, this weekend Tori, Dana, and I will be reunited! I CANNOT WAIT!!! It is going to be so much fun and I will get to be their tour guide!
Okay I think that is enough to write about for now. School is the same. Life is AMAZING/WONDERFUL/EXCITING/GREAT/INTERESTING as usual! I couldn't be happier! Literally, I have never been more happy in my entire life I am loving every moment of my experience.. I can't even explain my love for Barcelona and life here in words.
LOVE YOU ALL
Friday morning the group of us took a 2 hr bus ride to Cadiz. Me and two others couch surfed, so we headed straight to their place. Our couch surfers were so cool!!!! Their names are Pol and David and they used to live in Barcelona. Their apartment was literally on the beach. So for a couple hours, we talked to them on the balcony with an amazing ocean view. It was such a gorgeous day and great to get to know them. Us three even had our own room and own bathroom! There were about 10 other couchsurfers from all over Europe that arrived throughout the day, and EVERYONE was so great! We then met up with our friends at night and wondered around town and went to a couple bars. It was a lot of fun and I made a lot of friends!
So we went to Cadiz mainly for Carnival. It is an incredibly popular holiday in Europe and Cadiz has the biggest party in all of Europe for it. It is basically like Halloween where everyone gets dressed up in extravagent costumes. Everyone of all age groups (literally toddlers to grandmas) wonders the street all day in costume. So on Saturday we woke up and started getting ready for the festivities! Me, Sophie, and Kim (the girls couch surfing with me) basically just wore crazy wigs, bright colors, facepaint, and everything silly we could find). We started drinking with our couch surfers and hosts around 3pm then headed into town around 5ish. IT WAS SO CRAZY!!! Oh my gosh, I thought Halloween in Santa Barbara was crazy, but Europeans surely know how to party! Every street in Cadiz was PACKED with people dressed up and drinking beer. It was so crazy and SO MUCH FUN!!! Maybe one of the funnest days of my life, possibly. Oh, but I lost my camera which really sucks because I had at least 100 pictures. But oh well, life goes on!
Sunday was our traveling day. We woke up and caught a bus back to Seville, then flew out of Seville. It was such a great weekend! And so gorgeous in the south of Spain! And then on Monday I officially moved into my new apartment! I had some friends help me move and I am officially settled in. I live with two Italian girls and one Philipino guy. They are all SOOO great and my apartment is SOOO nice and perfectly located! It is so great and I don't even have enough clothes to fill my closet! And we have an adorable cat named Guidi... I am obsessed with him.
It was Guilia's (one of the Italians) birthday when I moved in so she invited me to her birthday dinner. It was a very nice place with a set price that included unlimited beer, wine, coffee, etc. About 30 of Guilia's friends came to the dinner and it was SO MUCH FUN! I got to meet so many people and everyone was so nice! Everyone knew me as "the new flatmate from California" and everyone that I met asked me that. All of her friends were from all over: Spain, Holland, Italy, Germany, Costa Rica, France, Philipines! So it was quite a diverse group! It was such a great dinner and I am so happy I made new friends!
Hallie Swan (my cousin) was in Barcelona for a couple days with her boyfriend for her Spring Break, so I got to see her yesterday! It was SOOO good to see her, as we haven't seen each other in years! We talked for about 3 hours and then headed to a bar and got a couple drinks. It was so much fun showing her around Barcelona and catching up on each other's lives.
Okay, what else is new? I feel like I have so much to blog about recently! Tori Dumont (friend from high school) is coming to Barcelona for her Spring break from Arizona! She arrives on Saturday and departs on Thursday. I CANNOT WAIT!!!!! So, when I was in Seville I convinced Dana Hansen to buy a ticket to Barcelona for the weekend to see Tori. So, this weekend Tori, Dana, and I will be reunited! I CANNOT WAIT!!! It is going to be so much fun and I will get to be their tour guide!
Okay I think that is enough to write about for now. School is the same. Life is AMAZING/WONDERFUL/EXCITING/GREAT/INTERESTING as usual! I couldn't be happier! Literally, I have never been more happy in my entire life I am loving every moment of my experience.. I can't even explain my love for Barcelona and life here in words.
LOVE YOU ALL
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