City Break: Lishhhboa (Lisbon)

Like it usually goes, this blog post is only about 2.5 weeks late. I spent the weekend of May 20-22 in LOVELY Lisbon in Portugal, an adventure I undertook alone. It ended up being one of my favorite adventures thus far.

To start things off, I took the overnight bus from Sevilla to Lisbon, placing me in the Portuguese city around 7:30 am. Between bumbling over my lack of Portuguese knowledge, chasing down the tram and overall looking very lost, I final found my hostel--Johnnie's Place in the heart of the neighborhood of Graça. Despite running on 4.5 hours of sleep (maybe you aren't aware of how uncomfortable buses really are), I hit the ground running. I spent some time in the Praça do Comércio before heading over to Belem, the western most neighborhood in Lisbon. I climbed the Tower of Belem, peaked into the monastery and finally indulged in some FANTASTIC pastries, pasteles de nata, from the renowned Pasterleria de Belem. That afternoon, I headed back towards my side of town and visted the Castelo de Sao Jorge, a giant wonder that gives you the most magnificent view of Lisbon. After running around the city by day, I was not only pretty tired but also a little sunburned. I headed back to the hostel for a treat of a night--a home-cooked Peruvian meal and a night of Peruvian storytelling, hosted by Pedro (the owner of the hostel).

pasteles de nata

The neat thing about Johnnie's Place is that the owner loves to organize hostel-wide events to complement the experience. My Friday night was consumed with stuffed bell peppers, black beans and Quechua legends, told by a my nice friend Wayqui. I met Wayqui in the lobby of the hostel and we hit it off right away--over the next two nights, we talked about everything under the sun, from Spain to favorite music, to religion and the US politics. It gave me a fantastic opportunity to practice my Spanish (ironic, since I was in Portugal, and they really don't speak Spanish (despite popular belief)). The opportunity to meet him was incredible, what a unique soul. And now if I ever find myself in Lima, I know exactly who to call.

The next day I woke up early to go to La Feira de Ladra, the weekly flea market that is very famous. As I wandered around the rows of stalls with a few Polish girls from the hostel, we made some great finds (and some less than great ones too). For lunch we stopped for a gazpacho break in the Praça do Comércio followed by a FREE wine tasting, where I sampled wines from 3 different regions in Portugal. The rest of the afternoon/evening was spent watching a few hours of fantastic, authentic and local fado, the traditional music of Lisbon. It is singing-oriented and accompanied by guitar and other instruments--usually the songs are woeful, sung by women lamenting over the loss of their men at sea. The fado was truly an incredible experience and we had a great time interacting with the locals.

To round out my Lisboa trip, I followed the girls to a MARVELOUS gelato shop in Barrio Alto--seriously the most legit gelato this side of Rome. As it that wasn't enough of a sweet fix, we headed back to get some MORE pasteles de nata. Definite sweet overload/sugar rush. That night, as a final hoorah, a few of us went out the mesmerizing Barrio Alto, and grid of insane nightlife filled streets and walks of life. It truly was the perfect end to the adventure.

I think with my Lisbon trip, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet some many awesome individuales in my hostel--and from all over the world (Peru, Poland, Ireland, the US, just to name a few). It was definitely one of my most memorable trips mostly because of the wonderful interactions I had--the type of interactions that remind just how wonderful traveling really is.

Praça do Comércio

Fado at Tasca do Jaime

La Feira de Ladra

Castelo de Sao Jorge

Mosteiro dos Jerónimos

"To me America is both magical and scary"

31. Days that is. And I'm pretty much there.

Where you might ask? Well, I'm finally admitting that I'm stuck at that spot, teetering over the prospect of almost going home and then traveling/working/staying for another month. As much as Europe has been a life-changing experience, I'm itching ever so slightly (and now maybe a little more) to return to the place I know the best. So, will my homecoming be perfect? Hardly so. In that sense, I'm going to take some time to reflect on why America, the land of the free and home of the brave, is "both magical and scary."

For starters, the quote. I found it while tumbling on my Tumblr blog (because that's what you do on this type of blog) from suhhweetenedtea and it really struck me as fitting. Not only because I'm becoming awfully reflective as my semester winds down and my perspective has changed, but because it is just plain true. And it is the type of phrase that allows for individual interpretation, which in my opinion is the best kind. Here's mine.

America, in a magical sense. A perspective based on a semester abroad in Europe.

After being away from the everyday things I take for granted in the States, especially at my liberal university and college town I call one of my homes, many things in America are quite magical. Dryers, mounted shower heads, A/C, free bus system, US dollars, fresh vegetables and red meat are some of the things I long for daily here. America is magical to me in the sense that I have the opportunity to live in a diverse community, full of many ethnicities and lots of culture (which ultimately provides a delicious array of food I am lacking here--not to be shallow or anything) that is accepted. America is magical because I get to go to a fantastic university and receive a fantastic education that tries to promise that although jobs are tight, there will at least something to do postgrad. America is magical because iced caramel lattes cost less than $4 and I can find PERCOLATED coffee just about anywhere. America is magical because I get to spend afternoons at friends' houses, doing just about whatever. America is magical because of our freedoms. America is magical because of the tradition, but mostly the tradition of creating new traditions.

But it is true that America is scary. America is scary because of the rising rate of obesity and unhealthful eating. America is scary to me because of the country's inability to not meddle in world conflict (especially when our involvement boils down to solely personal gain). America is scary in how it addresses topics like gay marriage and abortion, fueled by hatred and the perverse ultraconservative religion that some believe should dictate all of our social policy. America is scary because of our own struggles with poverty and homelessness; its not just an exterior problem. America is scary because of rising gas prices and the lack of public transportation. America is scary because of its pop culture, and how it has come to influence many other countries around the world. America is scary because we constantly put ourselves at risk. America is scary because it is entirely unpredictable.

Those are just some of the stream of consciousness objects/ideas that I've decided to pour into this post. I think it has been completely helpful to step back and finally see both sides of the gun, with America being the gun in this situation. I can't lie that I've have been quick to judge several of the cultural/political/whatever practices here in Spain (and often ended up comparing them to the US, feeling a slight since of superiority), but sometimes it is hard to accept the differences. With the difficulties I've been having in my home stay as of late, sometimes my frustration with Spain overflows, despite the fact that my frustration is only with one aspect of Spain. But I'm using this post to remind me that not all that glitters is gold in the States too, and although I'm eager to get back in some ways, my time here in Europe, including the less thrilling parts, will be irreplaceable and a lifetime experience. So until these 31 days run out, I'm going to keep on adventuring as much as I can. Because in the scheme of things, my beloved home can wait a little longer.

We took the U-Bahn to the East Side Gallery; Guten tag, Berlin

BERLIN, a side trip amidst a week in Prague.

Although our time in Berlin was very short, less than a day and half, I really enjoyed the opportunity to explore this vibrant center of culture and all things artistic, a modern city with quite the past, a place where the east and west may be united but still remain distinct. I can be a bit of a history junky, therefore having the opportunity to visit one of the prime spots of action during much of the 20th century. Here's a little recap of my short but important experience.

First things first, Berlin was quite COLD. Seriously, I'm pretty sure it dropped to freezing the first night--a stark difference from my sunny and hot Sevilla. We had a few layers, but it really wasn't doing the trick, especially with the blowing wind. After our 5 hour train ride from Prague, we were all a little tired, so we spent the first night doing a minimal amount of exploring and grabbing dinner--preparing ourselves for the next day of exploration. Much like Prague, we did a free walking tour in Berlin as well, hitting up all of the main spots like Brandenburg Gate, Hotel Adlon aka the hotel MJ dangled his baby out of, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, and much more. I also secured my first German bratwurst during our tour break...it was truly fantastic (and this is coming from someone who refuses to eat hot dogs. REFUSES.) Our Aussie tour guide was fantastic and really passionate about the heritage of the city and the current vibrance Berlin exudes, despite not being a native. Although a lot of the tour focused on several of the negative aspects of Berlin/Germany's history--WWII, Hitler, Communism, the East/West divide, it was really important to me to have the experience of seeing the history first hand, kind of putting it in its place. At one point, we stood where Hitler's bunker formerly resided and it was incredibly eerie. The place is now a parking lot for some apartment buildings--apparently not even many Berliners of the current generation know that this was the spot where they found him dead. It proved to be some of the greatest evidence of the movement to destroy the terrible past and definitely was a very poignant part of the tour for me.

After our tour ended, the girls and I continued our walk through the east side and made our way to the East Side Gallery, a mural project displayed on a remaining 1.3 km stretch of the Berlin Wall. 100 or more artists created works that display sentiments of hope, freedom and peace, among things. This was probably my favorite part of Berlin, mostly because I am always fueled by others' creative pursuits. It's a truly unique way to memorialize the events that separated the city, but in a more positive and creative way. Walking along the stretch and reading/looking at the artists' words and pictures was truly captivating--if I had to pick a favorite, it would have been impossible. After our journey along the gallery, we grabbed some coffee and decided to take the Bahn, Berlin's metro system, back to our hostel (considering we were dead on our feet). Luckily the first train was above ground and let us look out at more of Berlin--although it was really neat to see more of the "hip" neighborhoods of the city, it made me wish I could have stayed longer. That night, we kept things generally quite again, considering we had to be up at 5 am for our train back to Prague. We grabbed some Doner Kebab with a fellow bunkmate from Cologne and finished up the night with a sampling of delicious cakes from a nearby cafe. I really enjoyed getting to know Sebastian and talk him about everything, including a lot of things about Germany I would otherwise have no idea about. Although our time in Berlin passed all too quickly, I am very glad that I had a chance to explore a taste of this intriguing city--next time, I want to make sure I milk the city's underground/artistic culture for all it is worth!

East Side Gallery

Praha | Prague | Praga | Prag

Praha, Česká Republika: 29 april-may 2; may 4-5

Since my arrival to Europe for the semester, I've been pretty smitten with the idea of traveling to eastern Europe and namely Prague, thanks to the enthusiastic raving of a certain Cameron Nelson and several online recommendations. Prague has always had this fairytale land appeal and I knew from the beginning that it was a pretty high priority on my Eurotrip bucket list. Well go ahead and scratch it of, because during my second spring break of the semester, I made the journey east!

Along with a handful of friends, we began our journey early in Sevilla, followed by a layover in Barca, and finally arrival to Prague! After finagling with the tram system and figuring out pieces of the mysterious Czech language, we managed to make it to our hostel (which was the BEST HOSTEL EVER--Art Hole Hostel, if you are in Prague stay there!) Friday was mostly recovery but we managed to cook up a delicious meal of roasted vegetables and pasta with garlic bread--seriously it was incredible (mostly because, if you haven't heard, my food situation here in Spain is continuing to plummet--it's pretty bad...). Then it was straight to bed (considering I happened to develop a pesky little cold, just my luck) followed by an early Saturday morning start to the Prague exploration.

We began our time in the city the completely sensible way...a free 3.5 hour walking tour! Also, fortunately for us, Prague still had all of the Easter Markets open--fantastic klobasa, desserts and more--and went spent time there before our tour started. Our Czech tour guide Filip (notice the F, no the Ph...he very importantly pointed this out to us), showed us all the main landmarks and attractions in Prague and included a great little history lesson to boot. We walked through Old Town and Wenceslas Squares, meandered around the Jewish Quarter, passed by the residences of Franz Kafka and even stopped for a break at BOHEMIA BAGEL. Honestly, the trip to the bagel shop was one of the highlights only because a) I'm addicted to bagels, b) I'm completely deprived of said bagels in Spain, c) I'm an addict. Anyways my hummus bagel (though not quite the same as Alpine's beloved Hummus is Among Us) hit the spot and we finished up the tour with a visit to a church that contains a human arm and a swing by the Charles Bridge area and the gorgeous river.

Next up: The John Lennon Wall and Love Locks.

I've always had a fascination with street art/graffiti and of course I'm in love with The Beatles, so the trip to this famous wall was a must. After a few misdirections, we finally found it and we each took our turn at signing the wall, and taking some rather cliche pictures (who cares). It reminded me a lot of the time I have spent tagging NC State's Free Expression Tunnel and was definitely a plus to the Prague trip. The Love Locks, though nothing extremely revolutionary, make for a really cute story and some unique photos, and were conveniently located right beside the wall! After the wall, we ventured up the Prague Castle, the obvious tour attraction of the city. Although the outside is very impressive, we weren't incredibly thrilled by the insides of the various exhibits, which consisted of a lot of empty rooms where you couldn't take pictures. It also might have just been that we were tired and it was raining. Regardless, I can add "visit to the Prague Castle" to my list!

...As well as a "visit to a bone church," check!

Kutná Hora, a small town about an hour away from Prague via train, is home to the legendary Kostnice Ossuary, or bone church. The structures and adornments in the interior of the chapel are literally constructed out of human bones--they were victims of the Bubonic Plague, actually. While it might seem a little creepy, I throughly enjoyed the visit, especially after learning the interesting facts about the chapel...soil from Golgotha was transported to the surrounding cemetery and the chandelier inside is constructed with every bone of the human body! Although figuring out the trains to get there was a complete nightmare, the trip was well worth it--I mean how many people can actually say they have been to such place?

With the exception of a mini trip to Berlin in the middle of our week (another blog post, don't you worry), we spent the majority of the rest of our time in Prague exploring the Jewish Quarter, including the Pinkhas Synagogue and the Old Jewish Cemetery, Petrin Hill and the roads along side the river and throwing back lots of Pilsner (I also managed to try a Raspberry beer one night a bar--GOOD life choice). We gorged ourselves on a total of 7 desserts in honor of Rebecca's 21st and I managed to consume TWO DELICIOUS sausages from street vendors. Complety worth the 50 koruny each time! On our last night, we made friends with a couple of cool German guys, an aspiring professor and a pilot in training, and spent dinner and drinks with them, talking and laughing a whole lot. In general, we also lucked out with the weather as well--it might have been a little chilly compared to the 85° temperatures we consistently have in Spain right now, but it only made the time spent in the city more magical. Because that is exactly how I see Prague--a lovely Eastern European haven straight from a fairy tale. Maybe its the castle or the red roofed buildings, the tradition or even the tumultuous past that draws me to it's "magical" feel, but I know for sure that I will be returning to the city. And hopefully sooner than later. Prague love! Below I've posted a few more shots from my lovely days in the city.