Veille de la toussaint à Paris

Sunday was Halloween. I was in Paris. This is hard for me to believe. Ok.

So Sunday morning we decided to head back to Notre Dame for 8:30 mass which was beautiful. The organ and the clear voice of the song leader echoing off the stone pillars were heavenly. The reading were translated in the program and the sermon was engaging (even though I couldn't understand him, I could tell the priest was a good speaker). Kaleb later confirmed these ideas by explaining that the sermon had indeed been well delivered and presented a neat message about Zacchaeus being small (literally and figuratively) and how we should try to be big by doing what is right.

Next we caught the hour train to Versailles (enjoying naps and accordian music on the way). At the palace we encountered a predictably long line and spent a lot of time waiting. (I taught the group how to play Botecelli which made the wait seem shorter). The palace tour was worth the wait though. From an historic viewpoint, it is mind-boggling to walk on the same floors as Louis XIV, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Add to that their opulent decorative taste and the exhoribant amount of money spent on this place and you've got yourself a palace. Plus, inside we were surprised to

find an unusual meeting of artistic styles. The palace rooms were doubling as the exhibit space for sculptures by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami. At first this juxtaposition was a little jarring but while walking through the palace there seemed to be a certain elegance in the incongruity. Also, as Kaleb remarked, if these palaces were still palaces today - wouldn't they display the art according to the king's fancy (as they did back then). I suppose the only question then is whether Murakami would have been fancied by the king ... but I like him so :) My favorite palace room: the famed hall of mirrors. Nothing is more opulent than installing mirrors that reflect and multiply that opulence!

Leaving the palace we went out into the extensive gardens in the

back. Shortly after we entered, the fountain all turned on at once as music started to play throughout the grounds. It was a stately experience to stroll through such royal gardens to the jaunty Baroque tunes. Also, the leaves on the trees in the surrounding grounds were stunning - with brilliant leaves of gold, crimson, copper, and rust. The statues and the sculpted trees only added to my sense of awe. It is beautiful to see nature so controlled and balanced and yet see the trees melding in random changes in color and sporadic loss of leaves. These gardens could have taken another entire day to fully explore - and they surly match the grandeur of the palace they accompany. Simply lovely!

After the palace, we decided to dine in Versailles (the suburb not the palace) because our stomachs demanded we eat (we had skipped lunch). We found a charming back street with tables rounding the elbow of the street and a guitarist serenading the crowd. We ended up at another Italian place (fine, judge me) but I do love Italian food ... and sat near the door, listening to our friend with the guitar and the awesome playlist (Hallelujah, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Poker Face, and Baby One More Time).

After dinner we returned to a fair we had passed for a little sugar consumption in honor of Halloween. While there, I was excited to see a little witch, pumpkin and superhero running around. I got a GIANT cotton candy (called "Papa's Beard" in French) and we also got candied apples for the road. No rides - because my cotton candy filled stomach objected. But Lindsay and TJ did try their hands at the claw machine (though unsuccessfully). From there, we took the train back into Paris and went over to the Pere Lachaise Cemetery for a final Halloween jaunt. The final resting place of the likes of Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. Looks cool in the pictures. However, as it was after dark the cemetery was sadly closed, so we walked around the gates and ate our candied apples. We then made it back to our hostel once went to a corner bar for celebratory drinks and desserts. I was enjoying my combination of red wine and creme brule when I got the nights

biggest halloween scare ... We were chatting and I was facing the wall. Suddenly something clinks on our table and I turn to see a black robed, four-foot-tall child with a skeleton mask. I know retrospectively that this is not that scary (this picture is for your visualization purposes. However, with the lack of people in costume, a trick'o treater in a scary mask in a bar caught me off guard. I might have even let out a tiny scream ... yeah, I'll admit it. The child clinked her bag a few times and (because society has taught me to give things to trick'o treaters) I immediately reached for my purse. When I realized I had no candy, I pulled out my wallet and gave her a few coins - as did Kaleb and TJ. Only after the child left (joyfully clinking her bag) did we begin to feel that we'd been held-up by a 6-year-old in a sheet in the name of our own holiday. However, it made for a fun conclusion to the evening and was a wonderful homage to Halloween as we know it. I fell asleep that night listening to Nightmare Before Christmas to complete the spirit of the night.

The next day we bid each other goodbye and took our respective transportation away from grand ole Paris. I did manage a fresh baguette from a bakery this last morning and with that I could leave Paris. My first visit to Paris was complete

Paris in ONE DAY??

Our first full day in Paris had a bit of a wet start. But, the forecast had predicted rain so we were prepared for it. Also, the rain didn't even dampen the morning for me. I don't know what it was - maybe something in the way light danced on the wet ground or the misty view of Notre Dame through the rain - but the drizzle only added to Paris' romance. And it only rained for a short time so we didn't get too damp. We pushed through the rain for a short walk and then sought sanctuary in Notre Dame. The Cathedral was gorgeous. The vaulted ceilings made for a very open feeling cathedral. And the windows - oh the windows! The colors and elaborate designs in those windows were so pretty. And, I absolutely love rose windows in any cathedral so seeing the windows in Notre Dame was spectacular. Also, while when we made it to the high alter - we realized that a baby was being baptized and decided that kid will have serious bragging rights when he become old enough to understand that he was baptized in Notre Dame. We thought about climbing the tower to see the bells - but the line was horrendously long and we hadn't yet seen enough to wait in line. Besides, we had our hearts set on another tower.

Notre Dame is down the river from the Eiffer Tower, but the walk is a bit of a hike. So, since we were pressed for time, we opted for a river cruise down the river to the tower. The cruise was a beautiful way to appreciate the Seine and the bridges and buildings that frame her. Also, it was no longer raining so we weren't too cold. We rode our boat all the way down to the Eiffel Tower. It was a impressive sight - one of the most iconic world images standing there in front of me. Marvelous. Excitedly, we made our way past street vendors (selling every conceivable size model of the tower) and into the line for the Pilar Sur (South leg of the tower). Good news, we got a student discount. Bad news, our discount only included the final elevator. When looking at the tower you will see that it has three sections: legs, second level and the last longest part.

We got to take the elevator on the last part but this meant that we had 2 huge sets of stairs to climb (according to Wikipedia, both levels have over 300 steps each - whew!) We made it to the first level, and then took a rest and got lunch in the cafe (yes, it surprised me that there are several restaurants in the tower). Then we made it to the second level. (I am sparing you readers all of the huffing and puffing that this climb induced). Finally, after waiting in a long line for the lift, we were swiftly carried to the top of the tower. From there the view was indeed marvelous. Paris is a beautiful city even from above. I was also surprised to find a working bathroom at the top (that I used, only briefly pondering how plumbing must work for this bathroom). Additionally, there is a bar at the top of the tower that sells champagne for 10 euros a glass. We did not partake because 1. That is ridiculously expensive and 2. Drinking 1,063 above ground seemed unwise. Finally, just as we were waiting to go down the elevator we heard a noise, *BEEP BEEP BEEP* pause *BEEP BEEP BEEP* pause. This was disconcerting of course. There has been almost constant news about unrest within France and just as constant news about France as a terrorist target. The tower has been evacuated twice (at least) since I've been en Europe. Kaleb and TJ have gotten many emails from Nancy Leonard advising against travel to Paris. So, of course, our minds all jump to the worst reasons for why a beeping noise might be heard at the top of the tower. However, we didn't see any panic on the ground and no announcements were made. All the same, we made our way quickly and efficiently back to solid ground and felt better with feet back on pavement.

From there we took our boat again, this time to the Louvre to see at least a few of the master works. We met Mona, Venus and Victory ... and had time to walk one wing of Classical sculpture. We also saw David's Coronation of Napoleon which is a classic Napoleonic image painted in a Notre Dame setting (fitting given our morning activities). We were kicked out of the closing museum far to soon. It was well worth the entry though - and I've decided that I could come back to Paris and spend two entire weeks just walking through the Louvre. Such an incredibly large collection ... it is actually inconceivable and truly unbelievable.

By this time the sun was setting again as we walked along the Seine toward the Arc de Triomphe. (Sunsets are prettier with pretty settings - like rivers and Eiffel towers). We made our way

to the Arc and reached it after dark - but the illuminated effect was quite pretty. Along the walk, we bought some chestnuts roasting on a street-vendors' fire and they were delicious (kind of reminiscent of boiled peanuts but with the consistency of potatoes. We walked the Avenue de Champs Elysees (a must see Paris street) and found a restaurant for dinner. It was an Italian place (which felt weird as we are in France) but it was run by a guy who spoke Italian better than French (so it was justified). Also, I love Italian food and this was really good Italian food. Also, I had a butter and sugar crepe for dessert - delicious. I even managed to order my dessert myself (with coaching from TJ). "Beurre et la sucre, merci," I told our waiter. He looked confused for a second and then gave me an endering/pitying smile and went off to fetch my dessert. It wasn't until later that I realized that I was supposed to say crepe at the beginning. His confusion arose because what I literally ordered was "butter and sugar, please." Oops ;)

Our final evening journey was a return to the tower to see it at night. This was wonderful. It is definitely prettier at night I think. Plus, for the first 5 minutes of every hour - it sparkles which is magical. After this, we did a little shopping and headed back the hostel. It was a jam-packed day but we saw most of the city must-sees which was our goal ... so that we could leave the city and devote Sunday to Versailles - Europe's #1 palace - which would take us a 45-minute train ride away from the city center. Needless to say, I slept like a rock - as my legs wearily questioned why I had forced them up 600+ stairs and then walked around all day. Zzzzzzzzz.

Ooo la la la lalalala! (Day 1)

So these weeks are only getting busier but I refuse to give up on the blog ... so here goes!

Last weekend two factors converged. It was Halloween weekend I knew I might feel some pangs being away from home for the holiday. Also, November 1 (All Saints Day) was a school holiday with no classes (yay). Because of these reasons, Lindsay, John and I planned a special weekend destination: Paris!

We planned this trip about a month and a half ago. Kaleb and TJ (Stetson kids abroad in Avignon) also had a long holiday and we (wonderfully) planned to all meet in Paris for the long weekend (for them actually the end of their 10 day holiday). So, with all of this building excitement and coordination we were, needless to say, a little nervous about all this striking/flight cancellation talk coming from across the border. Some other members of our program (also destined for Paris) actually encountered this when their Thursday night flight was knocked and they had to rebook. So, I spent the week leading up to Paris more uneasy that excited and simply hoping to make it there and back. But, in the end, we probably picked the best weekend to go. Flight cancellations stopped for the weekend (as the retirement issue had just passed and the petrol strike ended) and Paris seemed to take a needed rest from the unrest. Our flights remained undisturbed I was a happy camper!

Our flight our Friday morning was a little delayed, but once we were in the air, I breathed a sigh of relief and looked out the window as Spanish countryside became French. We landed in the airport about 2:15 and then navigated our way to our hostel (a train and a walk). I felt like more of a tourist upon arriving than I have all trip - primarily because I lacked the language. Kaleb and TJ would of course be able to help in that department but they wouldn't arrive until around 7 that night so we had made plans to meet at the hostel. This meant navigating there ourselves (our Spanish suddenly of little help). However, with the help of info Lindsay had looked up on line and the aid of my Paris (in Spanish) guidebook from the library we found the correct train. The English signs saying "To Paris" helped too :)

The train ride into the city from Charles de Gaulle took about 30 minutes so we sat back, listened to the French train voice and admired the countryside. It was stunning because fall has absolutely arrived in Paris. Red. Gold. Burnt Orange. It was a special treat because I hardly ever get to see the changing of the trees back home (or at least not in the fall when they are supposed to change). It seemed like an appropriate way to welcome in Halloween weekend.

We followed the metro until the center of town and then (looking at the map) decided to walk to the hostel. The walk turned out to be a little longer than it looked but it was pleasant outside and nice to bee in the fresh fall air. We emerged from the metro a block away from the Seine and walked to the river to meet beautiful views. I've decided that like the character a river gives to a city. The arching bridges and the reflecting water soften the city and give it a natural grace. Also, it was upon reaching the Seine that we could see two of Paris' grandest structures. Delight filled me as I saw the towers of Notre Dame peek out over the rooftops and the view of this Cathedral was spectacular looking down the river. Also, looking the other way we could see the tippy-top of the Eiffel Tower. It was a little strange. I think it was the idea that I have seen this tower's image hundreds of times in my life and now I was seeing THE tower. The real one. In real life. It was at this moment that it dawned on me. I was in Paris.

So from the river we made out way to our hostel. Like I said - the walk turned out to be a little

long (35-40 minutes) but the weather outside was nice and it was kinda neat to walk through the Latin Quarter past the shops and bakeries with their little signs. It felt very much like I had imagined France to be. We arrived our hostel around 3:40 and decided to wait the 20 minutes until our room would be open so we could get settled. While waiting we met a girl in the common room with the most exciting sounding life. She was here in France studying French to work with Doctors without Borders. She had come to France directly after spending the summer working at a clinic in India. Also, she had been born in Ethiopia, lived in Minnesota and then spent several years living in LA. She was really fun to chat with - one of the perks of a hostel: friendly interesting (often chatty) people. So after a bit we went up to the room to find a great view from our private balcony. It was a room with 2 bunks and a mattress under a bunk so we could all sleep in the same room with no strangers (a plus).

After a little rest - we set out to see a little more of the city before Kaleb and TJ arrived. We metroed back to the Seine and walked the river for a bit. The view of Notre Dame at night was gorgeous and the sunset over the river nearly melted my heart. After a bit, headed back to the hostel to meet our weary travelers at the hostel. Kaleb and TJ were arriving in Paris at the end of their long break (10 days that they had jam-packed with travels). It actually worked out perfectly that they could stick Paris onto the end of their trip and meet up with us. They arrived and everyone met each other. I have done theatre with Kaleb but had never met TJ (surprising since Stetson is such a small school). It was fun to catch up and neat to have a little part of Stetson with us in France. For dinner, we walked to the main street by the hostel and found a cute French place on the corner. I inaugurated my sampling of French cuisine with a delicious French Onion Soup (that way not surprisingly the best version of this dish I've ever had). It was a wonderfully relaxing meal and the perfect way to begin our Paris weekend.

PS> When blogs converge ... Kaleb's Blog

Library coughing Paris!

So, another week in Spain is almost over. Time is moving with strange jumps and stops that are difficult to explain. To help you think in my calendar, this week I started working some on my final course papers (of which I have three).

This week I met with professors and armed with their advice I set out to the library (a building I had visited twice before but never used). I successfully found one book on St. Teresa de Jesus (a Spanish mystic poet). The organization is rather different here and I have no idea what library system of organization they use. The call number for this book was S N TER MIS (S- Not sure, N - Novellas, TER MIS - abbreviation of the title). However the call number for my second book was H/N P JUA SAN. After asking a few helpful people I was told that H/N referred to another library in a building across campus. I would need to check out and then go there for this other book. I checked out two books (Santa Teresa and a Paris travel book - more info later) and then headed across campus. There I successfully found my second book (another on mystic poetry). It was an adventure and I had some nerdy fun learning how to find things in a different library - Now, my goal is to put those books to use and hopefully make a dent on those papers!

Tuesday I had the misfortune of developing a small cough that became a bigger cough and now is a bigger cough that is dying down (thank goodness!).

I am glad to be feeling better, because tomorrow morning I leave to catch an important flight. We have a long weekend (Nov 1st is All Saints' Day) so I am border hopping to spend the weekend in Paris! I am incredibly excited (having never been to Paris and always wanted to go). I hope to hit all the major sites and also enjoy the Chocolate Festival that Paris will host this weekend. My excitement could not even be dampened by all the striking that is making the news. Happily, our flight seems to have dodged the "cancelled" bullet and we are set to fly out tomorrow. I of course will be careful and promise not to join any angry French protesters, and hopefully our weekend will not be negatively affected by striking. However, the protests seem to be dying down for the moment, which I would appreciate - at least for the weekend. I'll be traveling with Lindsay and John to Paris and, once there, we are meeting Kaleb (from Stetson, studying in Avignon) and a friend from his program.

So, I leave you for the weekend but with the promise of many stories to tell when I return. Hasta el lunes :)

A few thoughts

I'm back. I hope you all enjoyed my little break and the guest appearance of Mom on the blog. I know I did :) And I'm not only saying that because I got a week off blogging ... It was so wonderful to have Mom here to visit me. I've been here now for just shy of two months. I've fallen into the routine of the city. That isn't a bad thing. I have become comfortable here in Madrid. I barely look at the metro map now and I have even planned several trips outside of the city on my own. I am navigating a world in Spanish and I can tell that if anything my speaking confidence has grown. I even have been told that I "sound like I'm from Spain" when I speak Spanish now. So that makes me happy. At the most basic level, that's why I'm here. I would like to say that I am speaking better too ... but that is harder for me to judge. I feel like things are coming more naturally than in the past - and 2 months in I hope that they are!

I am also having enormous travel opportunities. Morocco was amazing. I am also so grateful to be exploring Spain so fully (with Barcelona and Toledo in the first weeks and now Granada, Seville, Segovia and Cuenca with mom). Then, these next three weekends will be my busy international travel as I make my way to Paris, Lisbon (Portugal) and Milan. I am so excited for these journeys that I almost have to pull back my excitement to keep from feeling overwhelmed. Usually I look forward to a trip for at least a month before going - but as I am have packed in these weekends, I almost have to restrain excitement individually until the week of the trip. So, today I am excited for Paris :)

So, I am definitely taking advantage of my time here, loving what I am learning (yes I am going to class) and also enjoying myself in my travels. So the "6 weeks left" mark seems like a clock ticking away. However, at the same time, I am missing home, which I know is normal. I have a wonderful home and a wonderful groups of family and friends to miss (yeah you guys). And two months sounds like a long time to have been away from you. Like I said, I was so nice to have Mom here. The one thing I've discovered is that I would not be the kind of person who travels alone. Everywhere I go I want to share what I am seeing with people I love. It is fun to go with the travel buddies I've found in our group - but seeing all this makes me want to have you all here to share it with. So sharing Spain with Mom was wonderful. We really had a perfect 10 days. I laughed more than I've laughed in a long time and I will treasure the special memories of our trip forever. (Love you mom!) Mom is now officially back in the states as of about 30 minutes ago. I dropped her off here at 9:30am for her 11:30am flight out of Madrid. And, she only just landed at 3:24pm atlantic time (9:24 my time) ... such a long flight! (10 hours - the flight back is longer than the flight out because of something with the wind). I have been checking Delta flight checker all day and I felt the normal sense of relief when she finally landed (It always makes me a tiny bit nervous when members of my family are suspended over the ocean). However, it also is sad because that means that she is no longer here in Spain with me. And I miss her and all of you. So I am back here to continue to share my journeys in this way (via blog) that hopefully makes you feel like you're here with me.

In general then, I came here to share my mixed emotions at this the 6 week mark. I am halfway through the Spanish woods. I've been here about 8 weeks and probably would have had these reflections a week ago at the halfway point if my Mom hadn't been here to delightfully distract me. This means 5 weeks of classes and one week of exams - a frightening thought that I will have 4 exams and 3 paper deadlines in 5 weeks. I know it sounds like I'm just traveling all the time - but during these weeks ahead I'll be buckling down to get these assignments done during the weeks. (Page count? Arte-6, Literatura-6 and Historia-11). Like I said, I'm not forgetting that I am here as a student. And I am still pushing for good marks even though the course load is turing out to be a little more challenging.

So my emotions include the normal stresses of student-hood as well as stresses that come with traveling. Then I am also feeling a pair of strong emotions (one pulling me home and the other rooting me to Spain). I feel that 6 weeks is to short a time to have Spain because there is still so much for me to see. On the other hand, I am really missing people back home and as always will be eager to see them when I return. This is where I find myself. With 6 more weeks in Spain to do with as I will. And I plan to fill them and enjoy as much as I can. I cannot imagine doing anything other than taking full advantage of my time here to learn, see, taste, smell and absorb as much as is physically possible. Stay tuned and I'll keep you up on my adventures during these, my final 6 weeks in Spain.

PS. If you haven't read the previous 2 entries you should! They are written by my wonderful guest writer (and Mom) and tell about our adventures in Madrid, Granada, Seville, El Escorial, Segovia and Cuenca. Check them out!

The Adventures of Mom and Madrid Kid

Friday – We began early again this morning so as to get in many activities! We took the Metro to the train station, so that we could catch our 8:45 AVE (High Speed) train to Segovia. After 30 minutes, we arrived at the new AVE station where we caught a city bus to the charming town of Segovia. We knew we only had three hours, so we walked quickly to each sight. After walking under the Roman Aqueduct, we walked up towards the Alcazar, one of the favorite residences of the monarchs of Castile. It also served as a prison and a Royal Artillery School. It burned in 1862, but has been returned to its previous grandeur and is now a museum. We really enjoyed seeing the beautiful ceilings in each of the 11 rooms we were able to tour. Our visit culminated with a 152-step climb up to the tower for a 360 degree view of Segovia.

Next, we were off to Segovia’s cathedral, built in Renaissance times, but very Gothic with its pinnacles and flying buttresses. After touring the cathedral, we exited into Plaza Mayor, where several pastry shops, which we had to explore, greeted us. Two pastries and one baguette later, we followed Rick Steve’s walking tour back to the Aqueduct. Back on the bus, back on the train, back on the Metro, we returned to Madrid for the afternoon. We were hungry, so se sought out a fun place to eat lunch. Keeping with the cathedral theme, Suzanne had eaten at the “Cathedral” restaurant, so we went there for paella and sangria. YUMMY! Next, we hit the streets for some fast paced Madrid shopping. Boots, scarves, and other gifts for home were our targets. After shopping, we walked back across town to reach Reina Park. Suzanne has already described this Central Park like venue, which was lovely, clean, safe and lively. We had some extra bread from lunch, so we fed the ducks. We returned home with left-overs for supper and were able to share another lovely meal with Elena.

Saturday, I was able to go with Suzanne’s group of 14 students (10 from Marist and 4 from Stetson) and their program director, Isabel to Cuenca. Once again, we caught an early train for a 3 hour rail through the La Mancha region to Cuenca. The historic section is perched atop a hill, with a river on either side. We learned that Muslims and then Christians settled in Cuenca due to its defensive and economic advantages. We walked up, up and up to the casas colgades (hanging houses) that barely cling to the rock formations above the river. We crossed a gorge on a bridge that was strewn with locks (a new trend in Spain, to place a padlock

on a bridge, with you and your intended’s name written on the lock and throw away the key). We ate lunch that Elena had kindly packed for us on the steps of the capital and saw a bride and groom exit the church. After lunch, Suzanne, John, Lindsey and I wandered through the winding streets enjoying the local sounds, sights and tastes. We even found a small plaza for a short siesta. We met Isabel for a guided tour of the Museo de Arte Abstraco Espanol. (National Museum of Abstract Art), that was located in one of the hanging houses. Both the inside and outside of this museum were spectacular and very educational. To end our day, John, Lindsey, Suzanne and I briefly toured the Cathedral of Cuenca, constructed under Alfonso VIII after he conquered Castile. We’re on our train now, headed for my last night in Madrid. So with this blog, I shall bid farewell, but with many memories of a special time with the best daughter a mom could have! I’ll turn the blogging back over to Suzanne and along with each of you, await her next adventure. (P. S. I got to end my trip with a lovely taste of churros con chocolate. What could be better!)

Julie "The Mom in Madrid" Reffel

A Mom in Madrid!!

“I can’t believe I’m really here!” said Mom. “Welcome to Spain,” said Suzanne. And that’s how Thursday began. Since Suzanne has so much homework and is being such an expert travel agent, I offered to write a couple of blog entries. For her regular readers, I apologize that it will not be near as interesting, but I’ll give it to her to post and add her own thoughts as her schedule permits. Remember, Suzanne = English Major, Julie = Elementary school teacher. Anyway, here goes…

I arrived in Madrid from Atlanta on Thursday right on time at 9:40 a.m. where I was given explicit instructions (regular readers, you know how explicit she is ☺) on how to get from the airport to the Metro to the Centro de Art Reina Sofia where I was welcomed to Madrid by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, which Suzanne earlier described, but was amazing! At approximately 1:30, I was to exit the museum to be greeted by my favorite Madrilènes! From now, I shall blog as “we.” We gathered my suitcase and stopped long enough to eat a wonderful calamari Bocadillo before meeting her art class at Prado Museum for a tour of the major works of Francisco de Goya (again, amazing). Before entering the Prado, we had time to wander through the Royal Botanical Garden. After “class,” Suzanne continued my Prado tour and art lesson by introducing me to many other famous Spanish artists, their historical context, style, controversies, etc. This girl knows her art! Finally, we headed home via Metro to meet Elena, who made a wonderful welcome dinner for us. I’m so glad Suzanne is in Elena’s home. She is a great friend for her (and a great cook too!)

Friday, we began our weekend away! An early morning train from Atocha took us on a 4.5-hour journey to the region of Andalucía, where we were to spend our next three, well-planned days! We arrived in Granada about 1:30 p.m. and checked into our cute hotel (Pension Landarzuri) where we had a three-bed (though we were told to only sleep in two) room with a view! With just enough time to drop our bags, we then began our adventure, with our friend Rick Steve in hand. Some say Suzanne and I look alike, but we REALLY plan alike. Those of you that know us both know that we always try to fit in “just one more thing…” and that we did! Some expected, some spontaneous. Rick’s walking tour took us on a great old town walk. After a few plazas and markets, we ended up at the Cathedral and Royal Chapel. Not knowing much Spanish history (we don’t teach that in grades K-5), Suzanne taught me about the Moorish people, conquered by the Catholic King and Queen. This day was our “Catholic” day, where we met Ferdinand and Isabella in the Royal Chapel (they were really there!) along with Philip the Fair and Juana the Mad (they were really there too!) The cathedral was magnificent and the Royal Chapel kind of eerie. The cathedral is the second largest in Spain (after Seville’s). After touring, we walked uphill through the Albayzin, Spain’s best Moorish quarter to the San Nicholas viewpoint to get a better view of tomorrow’s sight, the Alhambra. After hearing about all the turmoil, conquest, building churches over mosques, and kicking Muslims and Jews out of Spain, it was nice to see the new, Great Mosque of Granada right next to the San Nicolas catholic church. After walking down the hill, we wandered uphill again through the Sacromonte district, home to Granada’s thriving Roma (Gypsy) community. We had decided we wanted to see the Zambra (flamenco) dance, and made a reservation at a cool place for dinner and the show (our special night for the weekend!) We were the first ones there and were seated at the best table of the house, served sangria, house label wine and a 3-course meal! A cute Canadian / Australia couple sat next to us, while a family from Pennsylvania sat at a table on the level below us. They had a cute 4-year old and I offered my lap so she could get a better view. We tapped our toes and snapped our fingers for the fast paced, emotional Zambra show. Our walk back down to our hotel included an evening view of the Alhambra as a preview to our next day.

Saturday we rose early, as to not miss a thing, we ate at our hotel café and struck out. One thing we didn’t get to see on Friday (because it closed at dark) was the Center for the Interpretation of Sacromonte, a Roma open-air folk museum. As we toured the caves, we imagined what it would be like to live and work as this culture did in caves. It was very interesting and provided another amazing view of Granada. (As you are hearing, we had lots of “Up” and “down” between each venue). Down again to Granada, we stopped at a cool 11-century ruin of Moorish baths (where Suzanne recounted her bath experience… see Morocco, day…). Then, we crossed the river, and headed up to the Alhambra, where we spend the entire afternoon touring every nook and cranny. We traveled back in time again to the time of the Moors who flourished here until 1492, when Ferdinand and Isabella took over. It was like being in another world! Suzanne had been to Morocco, so the Arabic feel was familiar to her. We toured the Moorish palace (Palacious Nazaries); Generalife Gardens (with a summer palace) Charles Vs palace (after the Reconquista) and Alcazba (an empty roman fort). We even a wedding couple and the mother of the bride getting ready for a wedding in a church on the grounds. Suzanne might choose to elaborate here, but other highlights were a close-up view of the stone lions (released from their fountain for renovation); an exhibit of Henri Matisse (who was inspired by Alhambra and the Arab influence); Washington Irving (who wrote Tales of the Alhambra during a stay there); and lots of creative ways to move water! After our day at Alhambra, we made it to the train station for our 8:30 p.m., 3-hour trip through the mountains to Savilla! Another cute hotel was our home for the night, Hotel YH Giralda, once an 18th century abbots’ house. We even got the really cute two-floor suite!

Sunday, we were awakened by church bells and called to our 10:00 a.m. mass at the cathedral. Even though it was in Spanish, it was a great spiritual experience. God is a great translator. The organ of 7,000 pipes was unbelievable. What an amazing way to praise God (the topic of the homily, but the way). After mass, we had a leisurely breakfast discussing theology over café con leche. Then we followed Rick once again on a guided walk through the Barrio Santa Cruz. From plaza to plaza, we learned about the Virgin of the Kings, the Plaza of Triumph (saved from the 1755 earthquake), Bartolome Murillo (buried under the Plaza de la Santa Cruz). I learned from Suzanne about how to know the difference in paintings of Immaculate Conception and Assumptions (there are lots of each everywhere! – Murillo is pretty famous for those). We also walked by the Convent of San Jose del Carmen, where St. Teresa stayed. Suzanne has read from her mystic works (here was the literature tie in to the weekend!). We then toured the Alcazar, another palace built by the Moors in the 10th century, which became the home of Christian king Pedro Cruel. It was also an amazing complex of structures. After walking through its gardens, we wandered toward a less “Rick” recommended sight, Plaza Espana, built for the 1929 International fair. It was recently renovated and was really a favorite for the day. Before we got there, we happened through a Festival of Nations, featuring crafts and foods from EVERYWHERE (including the U.S.A. – it’s always interesting to see how others depict us… hamburgers, Budweiser, Hollywood and Coca-Cola). We ate Spanish and German food and viewed all the vendors. It was filled with locals and was great fun. A quick walk back, we had just enough time to tour the cathedral (where we had Mass earlier in the day) and the Giralda Tower. When the Spanish Catholics tore down the mosque to build their cathedrals, they often saved the towers and converted them to bell towers rather than minarets. We had a great view of Savilla to end our day. We grabbed out bags from the hotel, grabbed a cab and got to the Savilla train station in time for our 7:45 AVE (high speed- 350 km/hour) train to Madrid.

Whew… tired… we are. Now it’s Monday, and we’re at school! I have met Isabel, Suzanne’s great new friends, eaten in the cafeteria and am keeping busy while she is in class. It’s a beautiful sunny day and guess what??? I’M IN SPAIN!!!!!!!

Monday, Suzanne and I went off to school together, only I didn’t have to go to class (Thank goodness!) I found a cozy corner around each of her classes to read, write and watch. It was great to meet Isabel, the director of her program and all of her wonderful program-mates. ☺ We had lunch in the cafeteria and then came home to have dinner with Elena.

Tuesday, we rose bright and early to catch the Metro to catch a bus to El Escorial. We had also hoped to see the Valley of the Fallen, an underground monument to the victims of Spain’s 20th-century Civil War, but it is closed for three years to remove the fascist symbols and identify the approximately 50,000 people, both Franco’s Nationalists and the anti-Franco Republicans, who lost their lives in the war. The Monastery de San Lorenzo de Escorial is a 16th century palace built by King Phillip II. It is filled with wonderful artwork, but its dark, stone walls make it a cold place. Much of the inquisition was directed from here. It serves as a grand mausoleum for Spain’s royal family (which helped us get a handle on the order of the royals). We spent much of the morning there, had a lovely lunch, rode the hour-long bus back, rode the Metro home, and I had my first well-earned “Siesta” - what a wonderful concept! Perhaps I can bring that tradition home! We woke from our rest to catch a Metro to Sol to meet Suzanne’s “intercambrio” (friend who wants to practice English, which Suzanne practices her Spanish). She was delightful, and has so much in common with Suzanne. We had an afternoon beverage at Café de Oriente and chatted (fortunately for me, in English).

Wednesday, Suzanne and I boarded opposite Metros. She towards school, me towards Madrid (on my own, well… with the help of my friend Rick Steve). Rick and I completed the “Welcome to Madrid: From Puerta del Sol to the Royal Palace” tour, wandering by bakeries, governmental offices, plazas, convents (where Suzanne and I will return to acquire “dulces.” (more to come on that). Finally, I ended up at the Cathedral of Almudena. It was very modern, yet BEAUTIFUL, consecrated by Pope John Paul II, in 1993. After enjoying the Cathedral, I toured the Royal Palace. It is Europe’s third-greatest palace (after Versailles and Vienna’s Schonbrunn). I was especially impressed with the armory, featuring armor and swords of Ferdinand, Charles V, and Phillip II. Following my stay at the palace, I hiked up to the Temple de Debod, the actual ancient Egyptian temple relocated to Madrid (Suzanne has already told you about that, but it was very cool!). Finally, I boarded a neighboring Metro and found my way home! Suzanne and I went shopping so that we could make a good old American meal for Elena. We found a Supermarket, but made several rounds looking for familiar items (things we have in cans and lots of are in different containers and only on or two brands). We figured out what we needed and headed home to cook, casserole, salad and banana (plantain) bread – yum.

Thursday, (today) we once again went our separate Metro ways, Suzanne to class and me back to some sights I didn’t complete in Madrid. I went first to the top of the cathedral through a museum of beautiful artifacts chronicling the Cathedral’s brief history. They, I wandered through some streets to see a the Descalzes Royal Monestery and some neat shops. We met back at home (Suzanne comes home for lunch on Thursdays), where we ate and

prepared for her after art class, always in a museum. We rode the metro and met the class atht Chapel of San Antoino de la Florida, a church with Francisco de Goya’s tomb and frescoes by the artist. Following that, we went to the Museo de Bellas Artes to see Goya’s prints and original print plates. What a talented mane he was! A shopping spree was next in order. Suzanne is now an official Spanish girl with her own leather jacket (everyone has them, so she should too!). All this said…. It means I have spent a wonderful week in Madrid. Sadly, I only have two days left, tomorrow we take the AVE (High Speed Train) to Segovia to see a Roman Aqueduct. Saturday, I accompany her group to Cuenca. If she let’s me, I’ll tell you about those too.

Julie (Suzanne's mom/ guest writer)