London with Jacq!!

What a fun weekend in London! Although the people there I find to be quite rude (I will have lots of stories to bring home of the comments that were made to me in the UK), I loved the scenery. Also, it's reputation as being the most expensive city in Europe is absolutely true and I am completely broke now! 

I had a blast staying with my "big sister" in my sorority and we hit the town doing anything and everything we could. Also we caught up with about 4 or 5 other friends in London as well which was a blast to go out with them. 

A friend from the UK came into the city to have lunch and walk around with us on Saturday! She worked with me in the US on the campaign but goes to school in York and is currently the Labour Party candidate to run for office...the second youngest person ever. In the background is the London Tower Bridge where they used to torture people inside when they weren't in compliance with the "right" religion!
This is me in front of the Thames River with Big Ben in the background. We went inside Parliament and saw a debate going on in action, and got to see all the history of the building. 

This Paddington bear loved us!!! Hahaha...the Paddingtons on sale at Harrods were so cute!

This is Buckingham Palace, which is not very palacial. Though I did enjoy the men out front in their uniforms and fuzzy hats!!! 

Of course I needed to get a picture in the red telephone booth....classic tourist shot. 

These "look right" and "look left" notices are on all the streets and remind you which way to look when crossing. It seems silly but it saved my life countless times since all the driving is backwards!!! 

The front facade of Westminster Abbey. Princess Di was married in St. Pauls but buried here. 

Me and Jacq (my big) in front of Big Ben after our tour of Parliament! 

This is the Eye...you can see it from almost anywhere and it's the hugggge ferris wheel right on the river. Apparently tickets are super expensive to be up there for New Years Eve watching the fireworks. It was really popular with the excellent weekend weather. 

A woman yelled at me for taking this picture! They had the best pastries and waffles sold right on the street....This was in Portobello market which is inside Nottinghill. I got some great antiques here like a Royal Naval Army officer hat for my Dad and two plates from 1953 of the Queen and Duke at the outdoor market here. 

La Vida Buena de Madrid

On Sundays, the Rastro (literally translates to flea market) is a sea of people from all nations and backgrounds....thousands of people buying anything you could every think up. I bought an España jersey, Real Madrid scarf (the scarves of the soccer teams here are extremely popular at the games), and a Spanish flag this weekend.

Me in the Royal gardens of the Palace, they have lots of fountains, gardens, mazes, etc. 

In the Casa del Campo (another huge park, way more rural, on the outside of the city). 

A bad picture but this is the Plaza Mayor, alive with street performances and people all eating on the terraza...also where they used to hang people during the Inquisition? Good times...

The "Parque de Buen Retiro" where thousands of people eat icecream, play with toys, lay out, picnic, and spend time with their friends and families on Sundays. 

Amanda and I in front of the Puerta (door/gate) to the city. 

This has probably been the best week of my life. This weekend, one of my ADPi sorority sisters came to visit me in Madrid and I took her to see everything. I gave Amanda the grand 2 hour tour of the Prado museum and we saw all of Dalí, Picasso, and Miró at the Reina Sofia museum...we walked all over the city and Sol, Plaza Mayor, Palacio Real and the royal gardens, went into the Catedral Nacional, and ate and drank at amazing cafes. We used a gondola to travel around the coast of Madrid to the Casa del Campo (another huge park on the exterior of Madrid) with some friends of hers which was incredible and had great views of everything. Plus, I took her to the National Ballet of Spain on Saturday night where we watched an amazing 2 hour ballet. We also had an amazing time at the Kapital club where we were until 6 am and then got churros and chocolate afterwards together at one of the best Choclaterias in Madrid almost going out the other nights as well. Sunday we spent at the Rastro (the huge flea market with thousands of people) and afterwards at the Parque de Buen Retiro. She also had a lovely lunch with my señora which was so sweet to all be together.

Today, I had the pleasure of having my professor of Spanish from GW to my home. Professor Perillan is madrileña by birth and is visiting her mother here in Spain, and just happened to be here at the same time as me. It turns out her daughter in law is a professional flamenco dancer and knows MY professor of flamenco so she came to watch my flamenco performance today and also (as a random surprise) ended up dancing 4 sevillanas (the flamenco dances) with my professor. Seeing the two of them perform was seriously incredible...afterwards, we all had tapas and sangria with our professors and the other students from GW on the plaza. Señora Perillan is one of the most important influences in my life and having her into my Spanish home was such a blessing. 

This Wednesday I am going to see Sara Baras perform in Carmen. Sara Baras is the best flamenco dancer probably in the world with a huge school here in Madrid, and Carmen is the her interpretacion of the opera "Carmen" into flamenco. I can't wait to see it. 

Anyways- I am having the best time of my life and have never felt more myself. I can honestly say I'm getting to know myself better and that I feel more competent and ready to handle the challenges of living differently and speaking a different language. I really have never been happier. 

Milan, Italy was extremely beautiful, posh, and fashionable--it's reputation as the fashion capitol of the world is well deserved. Every street has it's own Prada, Gucci, or Dolce & Gabbana (I did a lot of WINDOW shopping, haha). My friend's mom treated us to the Grand Hotel et di Milan, pretty much the nicest hotel in all of Milan located in the middle of the fashion district and right next to the Armani hotel. We also spent some quality time in Lake Como, where George Clooney has a house and many James Bond movies have scenes! It was a gorgeous lake with boats at bay and incredible mansions outlining the coast with the backdrop of mountains in the near distance. 

This is my friend Allison--she is also a Floridian and a fellow Gator fan!--one of my two girlfriends who came to Italy with me before we went out on the town all together. 

One of the most famous Milanese families's mansion right on the water at Lago Como. 

This was the view of Lake Como!! As you can tell it was extremely windy that day!! 

My friend Diana and I in front of the castle in Milan...it's over 700 years old and was last taken over by Napolean when it was finally returned as Italian property in the 1800s. 

Ferrari store! Believe it or not there were Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Lamborghini's galore. 

They delivered us high tea in our room the first afternoon we got there which was so delicious with fresh berries, yogurt, tea cakes, pastries, and of course tea! 

Inside the Duomo, one of the most majestic cathedrals in Europe. 

Me outside of the Duomo--again, a cathedral I can never forget. Its huge and lies right in the middle of the city's center. 

This is the "Galleria," like an enclosed but still outdoor walking path with incredible designer stores and typical Milanese decorations and items.  This is right next to the Duomo. 

Me outside of our incredible 5 star hotel! This was the best girls weekend ever!!!! 

Like I said, these stores were on every corner. All the people walking by all the shops where so fashionable and cosmopolitan...it really was a fun city to be in, and I have to say that I love the Italian people! 

A typical day...

(This would be the average day for Mondays and Wednesdays....Tuesdays and Thursdays I have political science and history class at the University)

8 am: Wake up and take a quick 5 minute shower to start the day. I usually eat a magdalena (muffin) with a coffee and am on the road...Spanish breakfasts are usually eaten outside of the house and are quick and simple, no eggs and bacon here! 

9 am: Spanish class with my very nice professor Javier, though all professors are always late (Spanish conception of time is much more fluid than American time), have class for 2 hours. 

11:15ish: Go home and chat with my senora, do some homework, play around on the computer, or siesta. 

2:00 pm: Eat lunch with Sagrario (my senora) and sometimes her son and/or daughter, and then head out on the train to art class at either the Reina Sofia or Prado museums *equivalent to a Smithsonian or the Met, these are the two huge museums in  Madrid. 

3:00-5:00 pm: Art class, where I walk around the museum and learn alllll about Spanish and international art. 

5:00-5:45: My friends and I walk to Flamenco class, and usually grab a dulce or empanadita to eat before dance...its leisurely and we try out new places every day. 

5:45-6:45: We have Flamenco-- a very traditional form of Spanish dance class--with this incredible girl named Alejandra. She is super young and sassy and I love her so much. We have only learned 4 dances so far but they are really hard! I had to buy Flamenco shoes which are kinda like tap shoes but different. Its the typical Spanish dance where you see the women with their hair up and the huge skirts on that sway back and forth. 

Nighttime: On Wednesdays we are usually taken to a different theatre each week for a play, dance, or performance. Afterwards, we sometimes go out to a bar or to watch the futbol game that is on for the evening. I have dinner at about 9 or 9:30, and usually do homework, talk to friends from home, or go out afterwards in Madrid. 

Amsterdam is a city I will never be able to truly understand. Despite the legalization of weed and prostitution here (the city is famous for its coffeeshops and the "red light district"), the city is very safe and police are used really only for policing bike traffic. The Dutch pride themselves on being very safe, and though they come across as forward--its only their mannerism and they arent being rude. Luckily for me, I had both a friend from home in the city to take me around and about 8 friends from GW on my Madrid program who came with me as well. This was a fun trip, but I don't think I can survive another trip to Amsterdam for awhile. It is a crazy way of life there! I feel lucky to have seen a great dance show there, lots of art from Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Vermeer, as well as an exhibit from Avendon specially there for the month...and toured all over the city. 

This is my friend from Blake High School, Marlee- who I stayed with in Amsterdam. She lives in a building made of shipping crates, and let me use her extra bike to bike through every street and canal in Amsterdam. I was super tired but it was such a great experience to bike through everything like all the natives do! 

Van Gogh's museum actually had an entire exhibit that just came in February to Amsterdam, including his famous Starry Night which is usually at the Met. 

It was raining super hard so I had to wear my scarf Jackie O style through the rain. 

This is at the Heineken factory. It was SOOO much fun. We got to go on a ride, see how the beer is brewed, have a professional lesson on beer tasting, and see above- beer the brew ourselves the old fashioned way from medieval times! 

The 4 key ingredients of beer at the Heineken factory... 

This is a friend and I in front of a church I think and the typical row houses of Amsterdam...

Looking up is the house of Anne Frank. When her family left Germany, Anne Frank's family of 8 people moved into the secret attic of a factory of her fathers...he was a jam maker. The museum was extremely powerful, moving, and sad. Actually seeing her diary and listening to interviews from her family and friends was intense. But, if youre going to Amsterdam--you have to stop and see this. 

Holland is obsessed with their tulips...I think its an integral part of their economy, or once was at least. 

View of the canals...there are houseboats galore everywhere, plus canal cruises always running by. I loved riding over all the bridges and seeing everything so alive with all the people bike riding everywhere and people covering the streets. 

This is just one photograph example of the MASS amount of bikes covering the city. Its really the only way to get around.