Tuesday, March 24, 2009
St. Andrews, Scotland
My second spring break destination was Scotland...
I flew directly from Madrid to Edinburgh, Scotland, and then found my way to St. Andrews, a process that required several buses. My sister, Sam, met me at the bus terminal and took me straight to her favourite eatery in town, Butlers (where I had the best wrap ever, The Pookie: feta cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes, pesto...). I then wandered around town (and got lost for a few hours) while Sam had a medical placement in the adjacent city of Dundee. That night, I helped Sam sell knickknacks for Red Nose Day - a big British charity comedy event, and met up with my friend, Ashleigh, who I used to sail with in Toronto.
Ashleigh and I grabbed Italian dinner and then met up with some of her friends. We called it an early night, and I stayed over at Ash's flat. The next morning, Ash and I grabbed delicious panninis at Harbour House, a really adorable cafe that has a very New England feel. (I'm starting to think that my entire trip revolved around food...) I then accompanied Ashleigh to her class on the spleen, during which I wrote loads of postcards and understood few of the medical terms being thrown around.
On Friday night, I went out with Sami and her residence friends to a fashion show afterparty, called Don't Walk. The party was held at a nearby farm that serves as an event venue, and there was bus transportation to and from the party. I got to meet tons of Sami's friends, and got to dance with a good chunk of the school's population.
The next morning, Sam and I met up with Ash for a tour of the town. Sami's campus is absolutely gorgeous and has ocean views, a beach, and castle ruins. On the beach we met a Hungarian filmmaker who ask Ashleigh to run on the beach in circles for him like a dozen times, he was only slightly creepy ha. We also walked around the Old Course - the oldest golf course in the world, which is gorgeous and on the seaside. I then caught a plane back to Dublin on Saturday night, and was sorry to leave since the campus is truly gorgeous and the company fantastic!
I flew directly from Madrid to Edinburgh, Scotland, and then found my way to St. Andrews, a process that required several buses. My sister, Sam, met me at the bus terminal and took me straight to her favourite eatery in town, Butlers (where I had the best wrap ever, The Pookie: feta cheese, olives, sundried tomatoes, pesto...). I then wandered around town (and got lost for a few hours) while Sam had a medical placement in the adjacent city of Dundee. That night, I helped Sam sell knickknacks for Red Nose Day - a big British charity comedy event, and met up with my friend, Ashleigh, who I used to sail with in Toronto.
Ashleigh and I grabbed Italian dinner and then met up with some of her friends. We called it an early night, and I stayed over at Ash's flat. The next morning, Ash and I grabbed delicious panninis at Harbour House, a really adorable cafe that has a very New England feel. (I'm starting to think that my entire trip revolved around food...) I then accompanied Ashleigh to her class on the spleen, during which I wrote loads of postcards and understood few of the medical terms being thrown around.
On Friday night, I went out with Sami and her residence friends to a fashion show afterparty, called Don't Walk. The party was held at a nearby farm that serves as an event venue, and there was bus transportation to and from the party. I got to meet tons of Sami's friends, and got to dance with a good chunk of the school's population.
The next morning, Sam and I met up with Ash for a tour of the town. Sami's campus is absolutely gorgeous and has ocean views, a beach, and castle ruins. On the beach we met a Hungarian filmmaker who ask Ashleigh to run on the beach in circles for him like a dozen times, he was only slightly creepy ha. We also walked around the Old Course - the oldest golf course in the world, which is gorgeous and on the seaside. I then caught a plane back to Dublin on Saturday night, and was sorry to leave since the campus is truly gorgeous and the company fantastic!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Spring Break Shenanigans, Part I - Madrid
For spring break, I decided to try independent travel, and it was fantastic. Over the first weekend, my friend Patty came to visit Dublin from Barcelona with 10+ people from her program. I showed them around, and took them out during the evenings. It was great craic (fun)!
On Sunday night, my friend Agi's college friends, who were in Dublin for spring break, and I cooked a big dinner together since we were all parting ways. We made a rather makeshift baked ziti, since her kitchen doesn't have an oven, but it was delicious nonetheless. A couple bottles later, I realized that in order for me to make my 6:30 am flight to Madrid, I was going to need to leave campus for the airport at 3:30 am, and it was currently 2 am!! So, I hurried home to pack, and pulled my first all-nighter of the trip...
Upon arriving in Madrid, I checked into my hostel, and set out to see the city. I first headed over to el Palacio Real (the Royal Palace) and its accompanying gardens. I then toured the Cathedral, which was gorgeous. I strolled down Gran Via, the largest street in the city, and found my way to the Reina Sofia Museum. The museum is home to Picasso's Guernica (which is huge and its room was constantly crowded with every kindergarden class in the country), and loads of Joan Miro, Georges Braque, and Dali. The museum has a great semi covered courtyard and a very open feel. After completing the museum, I headed over to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The garden was enormous and had a really relaxing atmosphere, which was nice after such a jam-packed day.
Upon taking a quick nap in my hostel, I met up with my roommate from freshman year, Dianne. Dianne has been studying in Madrid since September, so she knows the city quite well. We met up in Chueca, the gentrified gay area of the city, and grabbed a plate of nachos at an adorable little Mexican restaurant. Following dinner, we went to a very, very popular hole-in-the-wall bar called El Tigre. For every drink that you purchase at this bar, you are given a medium sized plate of tapas. It's a pretty decent business strategy since the food's a little salty and negates the effects of the alcohol consumed, leading to people buying more drinks. While in the bar, Dianne recognized a kid from Skidmore, who's on her program (Tufts and Skidmore have a joint program in Madrid), so we sat down with him and his girlfriend. Also at the table was a girl named Dana, another Skidmore student who was visiting Spain for spring break. Coincidentally, Dana and I were staying at the same hostel, as well, Dana told me that she was planning on doing a day trip the next day to Alcala. Alcala is a town outside of Madrid, where one of my really good friends from school, Erica, is studying. I asked if I could come along for the trip to Alcala and we made plans to meet up the next morning.
Dana and I headed out for Alcala mid-Morning on Tuesday, and were joined by Dana's friend Amy, who had been studying in Madrid with Skidmore since January. We hopped the 45 minute commuter train to Alcala, and spent the day touring the town. Alcala is home to a gorgeous University that dates back to the 1400s. Alcala is also the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the famed author of Don Quioxte. The entire town seems to revolve around recognizing Cervantes's achievements. At the centre of the city is Plaza de Cervantes, the plaza is famous for the trees that line its walkways that have grown into a single tree via their limbs. Alcala is also famous for its huge number of storks that perch on the top of all of the town's buildings, according to wikipedia, Alcala is home to nearly a hundred storks, and they serve as a tourist attraction as well. I parted ways with Dana and Amy in the afternoon, following a quick tanning session in one of the city's parks.
Erica and I met up after her classes were completed for some cafe con leche at a great little coffee-shop. It was great to catch up with her, and we talked for a few hours. Once we finished our coffee, we ordered hot chocolate, which is much thicker (more pudding-like) in Spain. Spaniards love to dip churros or croissants in their hot chocolate, as a snack. After saying our goodbyes, I hopped the train back to the city and met up with Dianne and her Tufts in Madrid friends. Five of us grabbed dinner at an Italian restaurant, and the food was quite tasty. Afterwards, we headed over to the cave bar, El Chapandaz. We ordered the house drink, which comes in a HUGE glass: the bartender throws cinnamon and sugar into the glass, as well as 7 varieties of alcohol, and the piece de resistance is when he presses a button and milk pours out of a stalactite in the ceiling straight into the glass. Needless to say, the drink was pure deliciousness. (Better pictures than I was able to take are on the bar's website, http://www.chapandaz.com/). Back at my hostel, I met some fellow Canadian girls, from Edmonton, who were traveling Europe together for a few months and had just begun their adventures.
The next morning I recognized one of the girls at the table next to mine at breakfast. I discovered that she lives in one of the six apartments in my "house" in Dublin, and was touring Madrid with 7 other students from Notre Dame's Dublin program. I spent the morning touring the other two galleries in the city, the Prado Museum and the Thyssen. The Prado is enormous and houses many old paintings, particularly those of the Spanish masters. The Prado's most famous works are Velazquez's Las Meninas, and Goya's Second of May are the museum's most well-known works.
The Thyssen museum is home to the works collected by a famous Spanish baron and his wife (Miss Spain of 1961). The Museum is arranged chronologically and covers the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum was much less oppressive than the Prado, as it is very open and airy with salmon pink walls. I then met up with Dianne and some more Tufts people for lunch and a stroll around el Parque del Buen Retiro, the Central Park of Madrid. The park was enormous and filled with green spaces, as well as a large lake for paddle boats.
Dianne had to head over to the Tufts program centre for classes, so I headed out to discover Salamanca, the poshest neighborhood of the city. There is a huge shopping street in the area which I explored, yet didn't buy anything, it is a lot like Bloor St. in Toronto or Newbury St. in Boston. I headed back to Park Retiro to relax in the afternoon sun, before heading back to my hostel for a nap.
That evening I went to the Tufts-Skidmore program centre to meet up with Dianne, Erica, and some others for wine and tapas following their monthly conference. It was nice to get to see everyone in the program, as well as drink on Tufts's dime, ha. Afterwards, Dianne and I met up with my friend Susie, who's from Tufts but isn't on the Tufts in Madrid program for ice cream. It was nice to catch up with Susie and all of her homestay drama, as well as introduce her to Dianne. After Dianne headed home and we were kicked out of the ice cream shop because it was closing, Susie and I made our way to a local dive-bar for a couple glasses of wine. I then went back to my hostel for a 2 hour nap, before heading off to Scotland. I'll write up on my time in Scotland as soon as I get a chance!
On Sunday night, my friend Agi's college friends, who were in Dublin for spring break, and I cooked a big dinner together since we were all parting ways. We made a rather makeshift baked ziti, since her kitchen doesn't have an oven, but it was delicious nonetheless. A couple bottles later, I realized that in order for me to make my 6:30 am flight to Madrid, I was going to need to leave campus for the airport at 3:30 am, and it was currently 2 am!! So, I hurried home to pack, and pulled my first all-nighter of the trip...
Upon arriving in Madrid, I checked into my hostel, and set out to see the city. I first headed over to el Palacio Real (the Royal Palace) and its accompanying gardens. I then toured the Cathedral, which was gorgeous. I strolled down Gran Via, the largest street in the city, and found my way to the Reina Sofia Museum. The museum is home to Picasso's Guernica (which is huge and its room was constantly crowded with every kindergarden class in the country), and loads of Joan Miro, Georges Braque, and Dali. The museum has a great semi covered courtyard and a very open feel. After completing the museum, I headed over to the Royal Botanical Gardens. The garden was enormous and had a really relaxing atmosphere, which was nice after such a jam-packed day.
Upon taking a quick nap in my hostel, I met up with my roommate from freshman year, Dianne. Dianne has been studying in Madrid since September, so she knows the city quite well. We met up in Chueca, the gentrified gay area of the city, and grabbed a plate of nachos at an adorable little Mexican restaurant. Following dinner, we went to a very, very popular hole-in-the-wall bar called El Tigre. For every drink that you purchase at this bar, you are given a medium sized plate of tapas. It's a pretty decent business strategy since the food's a little salty and negates the effects of the alcohol consumed, leading to people buying more drinks. While in the bar, Dianne recognized a kid from Skidmore, who's on her program (Tufts and Skidmore have a joint program in Madrid), so we sat down with him and his girlfriend. Also at the table was a girl named Dana, another Skidmore student who was visiting Spain for spring break. Coincidentally, Dana and I were staying at the same hostel, as well, Dana told me that she was planning on doing a day trip the next day to Alcala. Alcala is a town outside of Madrid, where one of my really good friends from school, Erica, is studying. I asked if I could come along for the trip to Alcala and we made plans to meet up the next morning.
Dana and I headed out for Alcala mid-Morning on Tuesday, and were joined by Dana's friend Amy, who had been studying in Madrid with Skidmore since January. We hopped the 45 minute commuter train to Alcala, and spent the day touring the town. Alcala is home to a gorgeous University that dates back to the 1400s. Alcala is also the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the famed author of Don Quioxte. The entire town seems to revolve around recognizing Cervantes's achievements. At the centre of the city is Plaza de Cervantes, the plaza is famous for the trees that line its walkways that have grown into a single tree via their limbs. Alcala is also famous for its huge number of storks that perch on the top of all of the town's buildings, according to wikipedia, Alcala is home to nearly a hundred storks, and they serve as a tourist attraction as well. I parted ways with Dana and Amy in the afternoon, following a quick tanning session in one of the city's parks.
Erica and I met up after her classes were completed for some cafe con leche at a great little coffee-shop. It was great to catch up with her, and we talked for a few hours. Once we finished our coffee, we ordered hot chocolate, which is much thicker (more pudding-like) in Spain. Spaniards love to dip churros or croissants in their hot chocolate, as a snack. After saying our goodbyes, I hopped the train back to the city and met up with Dianne and her Tufts in Madrid friends. Five of us grabbed dinner at an Italian restaurant, and the food was quite tasty. Afterwards, we headed over to the cave bar, El Chapandaz. We ordered the house drink, which comes in a HUGE glass: the bartender throws cinnamon and sugar into the glass, as well as 7 varieties of alcohol, and the piece de resistance is when he presses a button and milk pours out of a stalactite in the ceiling straight into the glass. Needless to say, the drink was pure deliciousness. (Better pictures than I was able to take are on the bar's website, http://www.chapandaz.com/). Back at my hostel, I met some fellow Canadian girls, from Edmonton, who were traveling Europe together for a few months and had just begun their adventures.
The next morning I recognized one of the girls at the table next to mine at breakfast. I discovered that she lives in one of the six apartments in my "house" in Dublin, and was touring Madrid with 7 other students from Notre Dame's Dublin program. I spent the morning touring the other two galleries in the city, the Prado Museum and the Thyssen. The Prado is enormous and houses many old paintings, particularly those of the Spanish masters. The Prado's most famous works are Velazquez's Las Meninas, and Goya's Second of May are the museum's most well-known works.
The Thyssen museum is home to the works collected by a famous Spanish baron and his wife (Miss Spain of 1961). The Museum is arranged chronologically and covers the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum was much less oppressive than the Prado, as it is very open and airy with salmon pink walls. I then met up with Dianne and some more Tufts people for lunch and a stroll around el Parque del Buen Retiro, the Central Park of Madrid. The park was enormous and filled with green spaces, as well as a large lake for paddle boats.
Dianne had to head over to the Tufts program centre for classes, so I headed out to discover Salamanca, the poshest neighborhood of the city. There is a huge shopping street in the area which I explored, yet didn't buy anything, it is a lot like Bloor St. in Toronto or Newbury St. in Boston. I headed back to Park Retiro to relax in the afternoon sun, before heading back to my hostel for a nap.
That evening I went to the Tufts-Skidmore program centre to meet up with Dianne, Erica, and some others for wine and tapas following their monthly conference. It was nice to get to see everyone in the program, as well as drink on Tufts's dime, ha. Afterwards, Dianne and I met up with my friend Susie, who's from Tufts but isn't on the Tufts in Madrid program for ice cream. It was nice to catch up with Susie and all of her homestay drama, as well as introduce her to Dianne. After Dianne headed home and we were kicked out of the ice cream shop because it was closing, Susie and I made our way to a local dive-bar for a couple glasses of wine. I then went back to my hostel for a 2 hour nap, before heading off to Scotland. I'll write up on my time in Scotland as soon as I get a chance!
Friday, March 6, 2009
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