Gernika/Guernica

Good evening from Bilbao, heart of Basque country!

Today our group bid farewell to the coastal town of San Sebastian and headed toward Bilbao–but we made a brief stop first at the small town of Guernica (or if you prefer Euskadi, Gernika). In case you aren’t up on your 20th century Spanish history, Guernica is a sleepy little town nestled in the mountains of Basque country, an autonomous community in northern Spain that has historically resisted all and any attempts at conforming to Spanish constitutional monarchy. There have been bands of radical separatists in Basque country for the past few decades but I think they’ve since disbanded–sort of like Ireland’s IRA, but called ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, or Basque Homeland and Freedom). I think everything about Basque country is just so fascinating, but I might just be a loser who should have been a history major. Regardless.

The symbol of Basque culture–a tree, located in front of the Casa de Juntas, where parliamentary meetings are held.

In April 1937, Nazi German soldiers bombed the town of Guernica as a way of trying to make the proud Basques un-autonomize themselves. A lot of innocent people in the civilian town were killed or hurt, and the event received a lot of international criticism leading up to World War 2. Pablo Picasso was commissioned to paint something for an exposition just after the bombing of Guernica, and thus his famous painting (and my favorite in the whole world) Guernica was created, depicting the mortality and horror of the unprecedented attack on the quiet town:

 

Unfortunately, the painting is housed in a museum in Madrid so we didn’t see it today, but I’ll see it in person in a week or so once we settle in.

The visit to Guernica (and subsequent lunch, obviously) was probably my favorite part of the trip so far…it’s just such a shame to see people who voluntarily came on this trip not enjoy it to the fullest extent. I think that if you have the privilege of immersing yourself in another culture for a few months, you need to respect that culture as much as possible, and part of that respect is learning something new about it, like the bombing of the town of Guernica, or Gaudi’s architecture in the city of Barcelona, or the social history of San Sebastian. Hey, you’re already here in Europe–you might as well enjoy yourself on these tours now before classes start next week.

This afternoon we got back on a bus and drove another 45 minutes to the post-industrial city of  Bilbao, and tomorrow we’re going to the Guggenheim (I’m pretty sure Gehry’s exterior architecture of the building itself will be just as fascinating as the interior art).

Until next time,

Maya

The story behind the chocolate penis

Dear loyal readers,

It was a rainy day in San Sebastian, which meant a rather relaxing several hours for us weary travelers. We studied a bit for our seminar test, toured the absolutely stunning ancient city of San Sebastian, enjoyed a Spanish crew race and…well…the above photo.

Tonight, Maya, I and six friends went out to get pizza at an Italian restaurant. Harmless night, right? Well, we were lucky enough to be seated next to a bachelorette party. A Spanish woman, her family and friends were enjoying her last night as a single woman by ordering what else? A cake decorated with a massive marzipan penis sculpture.

Obviously, our interest got the best of us. The next thing you know, the oldest woman (the bride’s grandmother?) covered the phallic treat with a napkin and set it on our table. After some giggles, I took the liberty of cutting into it. Cheers ensued.

Thought that was exciting enough? Try getting stuck in an elevator with seven other people. That’s when this happened…

(One friend was on the floor and another was off to the side.) After 20 glorious minutes of music and inside jokes, we were freed from the heated hell that was between the ground and first floor. Best bonding moment EVER.

Back with more soon,
Maddy

Catching up

Yo,

Below are some photos of our last day in Barcelona that I didn’t get to post the day of. This post is slightly out of order, since we’re a bit late on our blogging schedule. Unfortunately, I don’t have many photos because we toured two amazing museums that didn’t allow photography: the Picasso and Joan Miro museums of art.

Both artists have completely different but genuinely beautiful styles. An artist’s thoughts and reasoning behind their work is hard to decipher, which is why I appreciated the tours of these two locations. An SU Spanish art professor, Ricardo Abrantes, took us through almost every room, explaining the symbolism and significance of almost each piece.

This man is an absolute genius when it comes to art. His passion and dedication to reading up on each artist and their paintings is obvious in how he teaches. I wish I could be as excited about something as he is. He clearly wants us to know this stuff, which makes me want to pay attention even more. It’s also why I get incredibly worked up when people don’t appreciate what he has to say. It was an enriching experience to learn how and why Picasso and Joan Miro painted what they did and this professor really helped me do that.

After touring these two museums, the group had some free time to go shopping. I got my first maxi skirt–a red one, no less!

Last night, we took advantage of our last night in Barcelona to experience the clubbing scene for real. Again, there aren’t many pictures of the evening, but it was definitely a success. After dinner, we went to a bar called Dow Jones where the prices of drinks fluctuate based on demand–just like the stock market. Afterwards, we headed to Olympic, a discoteca that played all American music (yes, meaning amazing dubstep remixes). We stayed there until 3:30 a.m. Cute boys? Yes ma’am. Good time? Absolutely.

And that was our last night in a nutshell! Now go back and read the post before this one, lol.

Now entering Basque country

Clouds cascading over the mountains of Basque country.

Greetings from our new home–a hotel in the middle of San Sebastian, Spain!

Today consisted of a giant road trip, seriously. We said goodbye to Barcelona this morning and drove three (of a total seven) hours to Zaragoza, home of of a cathedral named La Virgin de Pilar, where it is said that the Virgin Mary herself appeared on a pillar. Here is a photo of the plaza where the church was located.

We ended up having lunch just to the left of this picture (a buffet, thank God). Behind it was a quaint little fountain called El Fuente de Goya that we were able to wade into. It was so refreshing to cool off after all we’ve done. Walking and standing for hours does a lot to these narrow little feet! Here is a photo of us chilling in the water with a statue of Goya behind us (he was born one town over).

After lunch, we continued on our merry way for another two hours before entering el pais vasco, or the Basque country. Personally, I love this area. I was able to do research on the language for a linguistics class and learned that it is literally not connected to any other language. It has no root and no relation to any other linguistic family. That alone makes the Basque land pretty freakin’ cool.

Anyway, after mountains and mountains of greenery and vineyards, we came to LaGuardia, a medieval town, to take a tour of an age-old winery. The best part? We got to taste two of their wines and learn a bit about wine culture. Did you know that if you’re trying to taste wine (instead of chug it), eating cheese is a bad idea? Apparently the grease from the cheese coats your throat, making you unable to get a good idea of the wine’s pure taste. Also, an older wine doesn’t necessarily make it a better one. Also still, American wines tend to taste more like vanilla, whereas French wines have a stronger flavor (sometimes tobacco-like). Cool, right?

After half the group purchased their share of pre-game ammo, we were back on the bus for another two hours to San Sebastian. We just got here so we haven’t seen much yet. But the city’s beaches have won awards for their beauty, and we have an afternoon free to explore!

Hasta pronto,
Maddy

 

 

 

Busy day in Barcelona

Hey guys!

Maddy, here. If you’ve read Maya’s last post, you probably realized that Barcelona almost has too much to do. We’ve been running around the city all day yesterday and today, enjoying every square inch of culture and beauty. Here are some photos from yesterday’s adventures. I’ll be back in a little to tell you more about today (hint: there was a lot of art involved).

One of the famous buildings on “La manzana de discordia.”

Antoni Gaudi’s famous apartment: El Batllo.

Oh, you know, La Sagrada Familia.

The inside.

El Parc Guell.

Two SU broads abroad!

And of course…the food!

 

Also, this was Maya and I after that crazy day. Literally so much walking…

Un dia nueva en Barcelona

Buenas tardes a todos!

The last you’d heard from us, we were just two tired little Americans hoping to rest up for another day of sightseeing in Barcelona. At 8:51 p.m. on Monday, I can safely report that Maddy and I are now two completely exhausted and adequately housed Americans (emphasis on exhausted, today was endless). Read on:

After our 8:30 a.m. wakeup call this morning followed by an interesting buffet breakfast (apparently hot dogs are breakfast buffet fare?), we had a long lecture about Gaudi, the modernist architect. We then began our tour, but prior to doing so, Maddy fell in love with the (attractive) hotel concierge, who offered to give us a lot of information about a bunch of discotecas in town, which we’re hoping to take advantage of rather soon. Apparently there’s a bar here called Dow Jones that works like the stock market in regards to supply and demand—the best time to order your drink is when it’s the cheapest price, but it’s always fluctuating, and there’s another bar called chupitas that serves only chupitas—shots. We’re itching to go out, so hopefully we can make our way to one of those a bit later.

Anyway, Gaudi! We walked around downtown Barcelona and admired a bunch of Gaudi’s work—we saw “La Manzana de la Discordia,” Gaudi’s self-designed apartment located next door to that of one of his rival architect’s, and we also saw an apartment building known as La Pedrera. Gaudi’s modernist style was initially scoffed at by younger architects who preferred sleeker designs, and they literally called his beautiful building a pile of stones, or “la pedrera”. I really admire Gaudi’s style. He has a way of making inorganic, cold materials like iron look organic and beautiful.

After La Pedrera we saw La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral that is probably known as Gaudi’s best work, though he only finished part of it in his lifetime. The city commissioned another architect to finish the building, though as our adorable tour guide Ricardo said, this other architect’s style is the very antithesis of Gaudi—hard, angular lines and figures. I much preferred Gaudi’s work on the cathedral, though the entire building is breathtaking.

After a real seafood lunch (Paella! Octopus! Croquettes!) on the shore, we visited Palau de la musica, a musical venue in modernist style in the city, and finished out the day with a trip to Park Guell, a park with untouched nature that sits atop the oldest part of the city. It was a long day, but the view overlooking the city made it all worth it.

Finally, Maddy and I found out who are host family is during a meeting with the housing director! We’re ecstatic—we’re living just outside the city in a house, not an apartment, which is generally rare. We’re living with a family—Tito Perez, the father; Visi Perez, the mother (and apparently an amazing cook); and Vita Perez, the university-attending daughter—and we have our own room and a basement and bathroom to ourselves. The family has a pool that we’re welcome to use as well as fast WiFi, an open kitchen, and the freedom to invite over our friends, according to one former student’s review. I’m just so excited to meet our family in the next week and move in and start classes. I’m dying for a routine that doesn’t involve translating Catalan menus for lunch and guarding my purse like a hawk whenever I walk down La Rambla.

It’s 9:30 and Maddy and I are starved for dinner, so I’m going to go, but we’ll post some pictures and another update again soon! Missing you just a little bit, America.

A little Dali, a little Barcelona.

Attention, readers…

Maya and I have officially arrived in Barcelona–the popular party (and pick-pocketing) capital of Spain. Before anyone gets curious, no, we have not had a chance to experience the crazy, out-of-this-world life that is downtown. We had time to grab dinner and check it out before bed, but not before admiring some awesome artwork.

After saying goodbye to lovely (and small) Gerona, we headed to Figueras, the birthplace of famous Surrealist painter, Salvador Dali. We had been prepped on his work during a lecture in Gerona, which was actually really eye-opening. I had no idea the guy was this creative in his use of symbolism and detail. This shock was only amplified after seeing some of his painting in real life. Talk about a tortured artist.

Dali’s tomb.

This may sound cheesy, but I was actually floored by how Dali used his sheltered childhood and sexual frustration to make amazing art. I learned so much by viewing the real deal, and applying the symbolism I had been taught before. His depictions of women, impotency and grief were so powerful. I’m definitely not an art person, but I was seriously moved by his work.

(Also, I think all classes should be taught where you learn background information on a subject and then go do/look at it. It makes learning SO much more fun, interactive and helpful.)

An optical illusion of Dali’s. What do you see?

After checking out some popular Dali art, we got lunch in Figueras, then headed to Barcelona! On the way, however, a funny cultural problem occurred…

The drive to Barcelona was two hours, but I drank a bit more Coke during lunch than expected (it had been a while since I last drank the good stuff). So, an hour in, I had to go. With a bathroom on our charter bus, I did not think this was a problem. However, when I asked if I could use the bus’s bathroom, I got a stern “no.” Why? Because apparently, in Spain, the bus driver owns the bus and everything in it. So, literally, the bus bathroom was property of our bus driver and no one could use it. Apparently this is a special rule for all bus drivers in Spain. So, we had to stop just for me. But what’s a girl to do when a charter bus bathroom is only for its driver?!

Anyway, Barcelona is HUGE. The top shot is of Barcelona, but only one part of it. Our friends and I tried to compare the size to that of a U.S. city, and we determined it was a lot like Philadelphia, downtown NYC or Dupont Circle in D.C. Our hotel is right in the heart of the city, down the street from La Rambla–one of the most famous commercial streets in Barcelona. It’s also a pick-pocketer’s heaven. Everyone there was gripping their purses because in all honesty, it’s a serious problem here. Thankfully, we were able to walk up and down and through some back streets without being touched. It was fun and awesome to see another side of Spain. Seriously, this is not a village. This is a metropolis of parties, food and crazily-clothed people.

(Seriously, Barcelona has some of the most interesting-looking people. It’s a very free-spirited area. Also, Maya has a great story about La Rambla, but maybe I’ll let her tell you that. Also, I don’t have a picture because I was scared someone would snatch it, lolz. Soon, though!)

After dinner, our group tried to find a bar but the Sunday night scene isn’t too exciting and slightly sketchy. So, now we’re in bed soaking up all the wi-fi. Tomorrow night, it’s ON.

Bring it, Barcelona,
Maddy

Girona, I love you, but your WiFi sucks.

In today’s edition of SU Broads Abroad, some more updates for y’all–pending the cooperation of the shoddy wifi in this hotel’s lobby (I am highly aware I probably look like a crazy person hunched over my laptop trying to bang out this blog post before our next seminar of the day)!

We’re in the middle of a lovely three day, two night stay in the northeastern Spanish town of Gerona. Unlike the coastal Tarragona, Gerona (or Girona) is actually kind of urban. Last night we settled in and went out to dinner at a restaurant down the street. Little did we know when we got there that we were in for a six-course feast–the first course was this toast we made ourselves. Apparently it’s a Catalonian thing—you rub garlic all over a piece of bread, and then rub a smooshed a tomato on top (the tomato mush we were wondering about yesterday in Tarragona), the second course was an antipasti salad, the third course was melted provolone cheese you ate with your fork, the fourth course was chicken croquettes with bread with roasted vegetables on it, the fifth course was grilled fish, or steak, or chicken, or sausage, and the sixth course was a kind of crème brulee like dessert called Crème de Catalonia).

Today we got up, had breakfast, and listened to a lecture about Medieval Spain. Not the most exciting thing in the world, but it was followed by a walking tour of parts of the city, including a trip to the section of the city where the Jewish ghetto existed during the 14^th century Reconquista period, a trip to a gorgeous cathedral in the center of the city, and a quick stop at an Arabian bath house, which actually was nothing like an Arabian bath house except that it had baths in it.

After this, we settled in for lunch and the daily siesta. I think the siesta is one of the coolest parts of Spanish culture. It would never fly in the American business mentality—every day at 2, shops/businesses/restaurants close for a couple hours. People go home, eat their lunch, enjoy themselves, maybe take a nap. People in Spain work to live, and Americans live to work (and would be baffled by the idea of actually closing shop and losing hours and business to go home and rest). I don’t know though, the siesta is pretty cool. Spain’s got it right. My school schedule pretty much negates it a couple days a week when I have classes, but it’s nice to observe it now in the summer. Today we ate at a “bistro” restaurant, which was really nice—every meal we’ve eaten out so far has had multiple courses and dessert. If this is what I have to look forward to until December, I’m okay with it.

Some random observations:

• Coca-Cola tastes better here because it’s made with cane sugar. And also because it’s served out of a bottle.
• Girls everywhere here wear these weird, patterned, tapered, floaty, long pants. I don’t think I will be caught dead wearing them while I’m here, but who knows? I wore a pair of Victoria’s Secret yoga pants in public for upwards of 36 consecutive hours earlier this week and I don’t hate myself for it yet.
• Spain’s balance of modernity and tradition (cars driving on narrow, cobblestone streets) is fascinating. Also a little scary. I wonder what they think when they come to Pennsylvania and see an Amish horse and buggy driving on a highway built for cars.
• It’s really refreshing not having to leave a tip for your server. Imagine if they paid waiters in America a living wage.

Tomorrow we’re off to Barcelona. I couldn’t be more excited about anything other than this occasionally crazy life I’m living.

XOXO (is this universal?)

Maya

A little fun in Gerona…

Hey guys!

Maya and I are still hanging out in Gerona, Spain right now. This morning we learned a bit about the Jews of Gerona, and got to tour some beautiful streets, an Arabian bath house and a cathedral (“un catedral” in Spanish). Pictures and more from today will come later, but I figured I’d post one picture from last night and tell you a bit about our first night in Spain.

Above is a photo of just some of the cool kids in our Mare Nostrum seminar group. Last night we all went to the hotel’s rooftop bar and had drinks. While half the group left, a couple girls, Maya and I ended up talking to two locals. It was so great to be able to have a real conversation that wasn’t with a professor. It was fun because they would speak English to us and we would speak Spanish to them. They told us about the country (and its jaw-dropping unemployment rate), what they do, etc. It was refreshing and fun and I learned so much–just in 45 minutes!

What the above photo doesn’t show is our amazing first night out in Gerona. After the bar, we went to this CRAZY collection of dance clubs, located in the middle of a park. Not kidding. Three different dance floors, each with a DJ and a bar–all outside below towering trees. Needless to say, I  had a great time (I mean who doesn’t when you’re dancing to Spanish music for two hours?). Spanish nightlife is so intriguing to me, and it was such a thrilling experience!

Back soon,
Maddy

¡Adios Terragona y Hola Gerona!

View from the architecture museum in Terragona.

Authentic Spanish breakfast.

Hello readers!

For those of you who missed our introductory post, I’m Maddy, the other half of this blog. Sorry for the delay in my first post. Needless to say, that last 48 hours have been slightly hectic. I mean, I straight up did not eat for 15 hours. If you guys know my relationship with food, you now understand just how busy I’ve been adjusting to this beautiful country.

To start us off, Spain is BEAUTIFUL. You guys may known this, but to actually live it—just wow. I still can’t believe I’m here. The colors and sounds are like nothing else. I’m very, very lucky (thanks Mom and Dad)!

As you may have read in Maya’s first post, our first official day was in Tarragona, Spain. For a small coastal town, this place has a lot of history. Literally, we have the ruins of an amphitheater in our hotel’s front yard (“anfiteatro” en Español).

El Anfiteatro.

Anyway, our first day consisted of a beautiful afternoon at the beach with two girls we met in our group. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect way to get to know a city like Tarragona. Because the city is on a hill, I was able to look up at the most stunning view of the colorful buildings (no photo, sorry!). That, plus the warm Mediterranean water and topless chicks made for a pretty culturally shocking couple of hours.

Our first dinner in Spain was nothing extraordinary. It was a three-course meal with two entrees: pasta and chicken with fries. Pretty American, but my poor stomach definitely did not care. I inhaled the pasta, and was about to ask for more when our next meal came out. Talk about being careful what you wish for. I ended up eating way too much—classic American mistake, right?

A mural in Terragona.

My first real Spanish meal was the breakfast buffet today. In the photo above you’ll see cured ham, fresh mozzarella, Manchego cheese, two pastries, some fruit and a cup of coffee (with coco mixed in!). Now that is what I call real breakfast. It was a delicious mix of salty and sweet, and I definitely enjoyed the buffet style.

We had our first lecture on the history of Spain, typical but interesting. The best part, however, was going out and experiencing what we had just read about. We went el Anfiteatro—an ancient arena used for warrior battles, bullfights and other forms of entertainment.

El Circo Romano was the next stop—a massive horse-racing venue that could hold 25,000 people. People were still excavating as we explored the tunnels underground.

After a quick trip into Tarragona’s architecture museum (where we saw thousand-year-old mosaics and other ceramics), me, Maya and four other girls went off to explore the side streets of Tarragona and grab lunch.

Believe it or not, I was still full from breakfast, so we decided to try some authentic tapas at an outdoor café. I ordered a classic Spanish omelet (egg and potato) with some kind of bruschetta with tomato “mush” on top. In Spain, this “mush” is typical. It’s just pureed tomato but it’s great on pretty much everything. The entire meal was just great, which is why we all needed sangria to finish it off. Yup—my first alcoholic drink in Spain!

Friends and sangria.

A Spanish omelette with bruschetta.

The group (L-R): Christina, Catherine, Maya, Brenda and Jackie!

(For the record, it was delicious. It wasn’t too heavy on the alcohol, which allowed me to enjoy it without wincing.)

The whole meal was just really, really nice. Imagine the perfect weather, amazing food and good friends. Sounds like heaven, but it was actually reality.

Good conversation made my afternoon today. There were six of us girls, all laughing and telling funny stories like we had been friends for years already. In such a foreign place, it’s great to gush about things you love with people who understand—in SPAIN no less! It makes me excited to know I’ll be having more moments like this in the next three months.

On our way back to the bus, we stopped off to buy fruit (juiciest and freshest peach EVER) before heading to the city of Gerona, where I am writing now! Pictures to come from that adventure. For now, it’s time to explore.

Paz y amor,

Maddy