Exploring the Wild West: Day 2

Hey guys! Maddy again, back with more photos and enchanting tales from Day 2 of our adventure to Western Spain. This day was probably one of my favorite seminar experiences. The sights we saw, the things we ate and memories we made were quite unlike anything else in the entire world. That’s pretty cool to think about.

We were lucky enough to get a later wake-up call, which made for a much happier group. We boarded our bus and headed to a small port city called O Grove. There, we were shuffled into a pretty tourist-y boat that we thought was going to take us on an uneventful tour of the water. How wrong we were…

Instead, we got to see and learn about the dozens of mussel farms that dot this small, enclosed body of water. These farms have ropes that hang in the water, where thousand of mussels will latch on to be harvested to eat. To watch the process was cool, but we really thought that was it. That is, until a giant, freshly-steamed plate of mussels appeared before us. Not kidding, we were given a buffet of mussels to enjoy as we cruised along the water just outside of O Grove. The best part? Discoteca music began to blast over the speakers and we just HAD to dance. Free mussels and rage music? This company knew how to make me happy.

After our tour, we had a free lunch where I enjoyed some fresh shrimp. On my way to bathroom I spotted this sitting out to cool.

Yup! Octopus is a delicacy in Galicia. There are places called pulpaterias where they are sold and eaten every day.

After lunch, our seminar headed to the best, most beautiful place in all of rural Spain. We arrived at a pebble beach where, to this day, exist sone of the oldest forms of architecture in Spain: los castros. The remains of these houses are the circular stone structures in the photo below. This was a tiny pueblo manned by an immense stone wall, perfect for defending against other attacking communities.

Fortunately, we were lucky enough to get to explore and climb all over them. Maya conquered her fear of heights, and I was able to take some of the most stunning photos in my seven years of photo-taking. The ocean behind them is actually the Atlantic, which is weird to think about because the last time I traveled outside Madrid, it was to the Mediterranean! Nevertheless, I was the closest I’d ever be to home. Hey America!

After exploring these beautiful ruins for an hour or so, we were pretty beaten. We said goodbye to the end of the world and returned back to our bus, tired but totally fulfilled. To end what was a beautiful and fun day, here’s a photo of Maya, me and some of our friends with the Atlantic behind us.

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

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