So as you probably noticed I didn't write to you yesterday. I'm really sorry for that. I didn't get home from my adventures until after 11 and I woke up at 3:45 this morning so I wouldn't be late for my flight. I know I normally give you all the details, but today I'll just give you the highlights.
Yesterday I got back from Barcelona and made my way to my hotel. I hadn't eaten all morning, and it was already noon, so I grabbed a baguette while walking. My hotel was actually super close to the train station. I'm pretty sure that I've passed it a few times but never noticed it. I checked in and then went to meet Tatiana. I wanted to get hot cocoa before I left Paris. I stopped at the post office to buy some stamps to send myself and Aunt Connie some letters and then met Tatiana at Daumesnil. They were taking out all of our trash and leaving it in a huge heap on the curb. It was mostly wine bottles.
Tatiana and I had the worst time getting to Les Deux Magots so I could get my cocoa. I've been wanting to go there because it was a hotspot for American authors like Hemingway. We tried to take the four from Chatelet but the metro sign had a huge "x" on it! We took the 14 back to Gare de Lyon then took another metro really far away and then took the four from there. It turns out that the four was available at Chatelet and they just never took down the "x"! Fuckers. We finally made it to Les Deux Magots and it was totally worth the hassle. The hot cocoa was super thick and tasted just like a melted chocolate bar. We ordered chantilly creme to go with it. Good decision. The cocoa was 7,30 (plus like 1,30 for the chantilly) but there was enough for us to have two cups each. It was waaaay more than enough. We then looked at the Marché de Noël in front of Saint Germain church and then I went to meet Patrick.
After I got my bags from him I met back up with Tatiana. We went to dinner at this place in Bastille that mom had been bothering me to go to. We split a cheeseburger that came on a baguette with fries. Our waiter was adorable and the food was delicious.
Next up we walked to Notre Dame so that I could see it one more time. Then we went to a tourist shop and got a soccer scarf for Matthew and the guy gave me my super cheaper tourist keychain for free. Then we tried to get on the RER to the Eiffel tower but the train was going to take forever to come. We then got on the...wait. We did take an RER but we ended up at the wrong stop. I knew Tatiana was wrong. We then got on a metro that took us right to the base of the Eiffel Tower. We got there just in time to see it sparkle. Then we got on the metro and came home.
We can skip ahead to this morning. I tried to get on the 14 to Chatelet but I couldn't find an open gate. I finally found one and tried to buy a ticket but the only machines that were working took coins only! I ended up having just enough money to get myself to the 14. Then a bunch of trains kept coming but we weren't supposed to get on them. The train we could get on finally came and then I got on with all of my baggage. Everyone kept staring at me. We got to Chatelet and then I, of course, stood at the one door that was broken. A woman grabbed my big bag and basically threw it off the metro and I jumped off after it. I then bought a ticket for the airport from Chatelet. I got to the platform and saw Nathan from my program kissing his girlfriend goodbye. She was crying. I talked to her when we got off the train.
I'm finally sitting at the gate. Of course I had my lotion, dry shampoo, and a huge pair of scissors confiscated. Who cares. I'm going home!
I might try to say goodbye to you later, but if I don't remember I guess I'll tell you a quick goodbye now. It has been a fou voyage, but we've made it together. Thanks for all of the good times. Au revoir.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Sunday, December 21, 2014
hain
Today was my last day in Barcelona. My legs hurt.
When I woke up this morning I didn't want to get out of bed. I was still super sleepy, but I figured that I needed to get moving. Barcelona waits for no woman. I turned on my computer to see that it was only 8:30. I spent awhile on the internet too tired too move until I finally guilted myself into getting up. I got dressed and left the house by 9:40. The one thing that I really wanted to do today was to go to the Miró museum. I walked to Passeig de Gràcia and took the metro until I reached the stop on my directions. I still hadn't had breakfast, but I figured that I'd just pick something up on my way to the museum. I got off the metro and had to figure out where I was in relation to my directions. Google maps doesn't tell you which exit to take so I always have to guess and pray that I got off at the right stop. I started walking around to find the correct street, and my situtation wasn't helped by the fact that they were repaving the streets in the area. I had to take the long way around, but I finally found the correct street.
The directions were fairly simply, but they were all uphill. I started to walk up a hill and spotted a paneria out of the corner of my eye. I went in and asked for a baguette. It was only 90 cents and it was still warm. The baguette crust was a lot flakier than the baguettes in France, but it was a delicious breakfast. The inside was perfect. I walked up the hill eating my baguette until I saw a sign pointing towards the museum…good thing the sign pointed straight up a huge hill. I walked up the hill and then had to take so many stairs I can't even tell you; there were at least 10 flights. After one flight there was a small park area with a few chairs. I sat there eating the rest of my baguette and looking over the whole of Barcelona. I watched a woman hang a comforter out of her window and watched cars go by in the city below. It was so picturesque. All I could think was that it was the most perfect day and that I didn't know how long it would be until I had a perfect day like this again. After most of my baguette was finished I got up and made it to the top and started to look around for the museum sign. I found a cluster of directional signs but the museum wasn't on there. I turned in the other direction and figured that I'd hopefully stumble upon the museum. First I found a really cute park with sculptures in it. I looked around for a bit and then went back onto the main road. It was just my luck that the museum was right there.
There were two sculptures outside of the building. One was a big circle of hay with a baby doll on top. It was perfect. I went inside and bought my ticket. Barcelona is so expensive. The student ticket cost me seven euros, but it was totally worth it. The first section of the museum was about Barcelona during the world wars. There were propaganda photos, artwork, and newspaper clippings from Spain, France, and Germany. I stopped to read all of the articles in French, and I was really surprised that I could at least get the gist of all of them. I can read in French! One of the posters said that the French were fighting with someone and the phrase "until all of their hate" was used. I thought that I'd never read such powerful words before. I didn't realize it was possible to hate someone you didn't know and didn't know anything about.
In the war section there were also other subgenres included. There was a car, factory photographs, war photographs, videos, an area dedicated to a Jack Johnson fight (whom I had just learned about yesterday), circuses, a Charlie Chaplin video, pornographic movies, sculptures (one was called the hand of God and I really liked it), and daily life scenes. There were also about four Picassos. The selection was amazing and it made me glad that I had paid the seven euros. After I finished in the war section I moved onto the collection of Miró works. It started off with some sculptures from him and a huge weaving. Next the collection moved into his paintings. My favorite painting was one that had been burned so that the entire center was missing and there were burn spots on the rest of it. There was also a movie about Miro and some photographs of him. My favorite part was the outdoor area that had a few sculptures. The view was absolutely amazing.
By the time I left the museum it ws already past 12:30. I had seen the building that contained the furnicular and figured that I'd take that down to the metro stop Espayne (where I got off last night for the fountain show). It turns out that the furnicular was closd so I had to walk all the way back down to where I had come from. Going down huge hills and flights are stairs is so much easier than climbing up them. I wasn't even winded this time. The next item on my list of things to do was seeing the church Santa Maria del Mar. I took the metro to the stop on my list and got off. It turns out that it's the same stop that I got off at yesterday for barri gotic. Lucky for me none of the streets near I was were listed on my directions. I started wandering around trying to find the church. I went to the church I saw yesterday and then wove my way through the area. I went to the official soccer store and bought the soccer scarf that Matthew requested. I then found another church that had a tourist map in front of it. It turns out that the church that I was looking for was across the street.
I crossed the street and saw a mother helping her young son pee into a planter. I'm pretty sure that you would be arrested for that in the states. The street was filled with clothing and jewelry vendors and I stopped to look at some rings. There wasn't anything worth buying so I kept moving. I found the church but it appeared to be closed. I took some pictures and then went back to the metro. My plan was to go to a park that seemed to be really beautiful. It took forever to get all the way out there, and my reward was not finding the park anywhere. The park wasn't even on the map. I decided to minimize my losses and left.
The next item on my list was seeing the arc de triomf. I had seen it from a distance while on the bus, but I thought that I could snap a few photos and then leave all in five minutes. I took the metro to the stop called arc de triomf and got off. The arc is literally right there. It was surprisingly beautiful. It's not like the arches in Paris or Rome that see so…imposing. This arch is made of red bricks with sculptures of women and bas-reliefs at the top in white marble. I really liked it. The area was really nice and there was a long promenade stretching out behind it. I walked along and saw men making bubbles for children. I walked all the way to the end and figured out that Parque Ciutadella was located right behind the promenade. I walked through a part that I hadn't explored yesterday and exited into a small shopping neighborhood.
By this point I wasn't quite hungry but slightly frustrated and tired from my adventures. I had been yawning since two and I needed a treat. I walked around until I found a gelato store. I was standing there looking at flavors when a few adults and their kids just pushed in front of me. I couldn't believe that they would do that! I just stood there and waited. I ordered a single scoop of Kinder and went on my way. I somehow looped around to Santa Maria again and saw that this time the church was open. I wanted to go inside but I knew that I had to finish my ice cream first. I walked back to a plaza and ate my ice cream while watching a man make bubbles for a hoard of children (including the evil kids who had cut in front of me!). I finished my treat and then went into the church. You're not allowed inside without paying, but you can squeeze into a small area in the back behind glass to look into the church. It's so beautiful on the inside. It was light and airy and the stained glass windows really popped in front of the gray stone. I wanted to go inside, but I didn't think it was worth it.
It was getting close to dark and I wanted some time to relax at the beach instead of my crazy schedule of running around. I walked to a V15 stop near the metro in the barri gotic and rode it to the edge of the harbor. I hopped out to look at some booths that there set up on the sidewalk. There were vendors selling everything from candy to soap to churros. I was going to get soap for mom, but it was three euros. I think that I've already gotten her enough soap. I left the area and cut through the neighborhood to get to the beach. I walked out near the water and sat down on the sand. It was so relaxing despite constantly being bothered by vendors selling mojitos, beers, and coconut. I wished that I had brought my book, but I didn't want to drag it around with me all day. I just lay there in the sand for awhile looking out at the waves until the sun moved and it became cold on my patch of sand.
I got off the beach and walked along the plaza near the sand. I watched a father change his daughter's diaper on a park bench. I saw street performers and people walking their dogs. Speaking of dogs, everyone in Barcelona brings their dog on the metro. It's so strange. I walked back along the harbor in search of dinner. I remembered seeing a place that sold only fries yesterday while I was on the bus and I wanted to find it again. I had to walk passed tons of restaurants with maître d's outside who kept hitting on me. It was very uncomfortable. I finally found the fries stand and looked at the menu. The small fries were 2,50, but for 1,50 more I could add toppings. One of the options was two cheese (cheddar and emmental) which I just had to have. I managed to order my food entirely in Spanish! I'm so cool. After awhile my fries came out and I went in search of a metro or bus stop. The fries were….too salty? They had a slightly funny taste to them and the cheese sauce really didn't taste like anything. On the plus side there were a lot of fries, but not enough to really fill me up.
I was almost to a metro stop when this guy started talking to me. I quickly figured out that he just wasn't being friendly and broke away from him. I didn't want to get on the metro with my fries so I kept walking. I knew that I was near parque ciutadella and behind that was arc de triomf so I could just take the metro from there. I got to the park and sat down for a second just to fish the last few fries out of the bottom of the cone. I then walked to the metro.
I came back to the hotel and asked the front desk manager if I could send him my boarding pass to print. He said yes and gave me the address to send it to. I came upstairs and sent an email to the address and looked up information for tomorrow. I just couldn't get myself to go downstairs. My legs hurt so badly. I can't even walk. I did manage to go downstairs and pick up my sheet. I then came upstairs and messed around on the internet before taking a bath while watching Judge Judy. I needed to sit.
Now I have to book my hotel for tomorrow before going to bed. I'm going to take the six o'clock train to the airport so I have to be up at five. Maybe I'll go get food….I'm starving.
When I woke up this morning I didn't want to get out of bed. I was still super sleepy, but I figured that I needed to get moving. Barcelona waits for no woman. I turned on my computer to see that it was only 8:30. I spent awhile on the internet too tired too move until I finally guilted myself into getting up. I got dressed and left the house by 9:40. The one thing that I really wanted to do today was to go to the Miró museum. I walked to Passeig de Gràcia and took the metro until I reached the stop on my directions. I still hadn't had breakfast, but I figured that I'd just pick something up on my way to the museum. I got off the metro and had to figure out where I was in relation to my directions. Google maps doesn't tell you which exit to take so I always have to guess and pray that I got off at the right stop. I started walking around to find the correct street, and my situtation wasn't helped by the fact that they were repaving the streets in the area. I had to take the long way around, but I finally found the correct street.
The directions were fairly simply, but they were all uphill. I started to walk up a hill and spotted a paneria out of the corner of my eye. I went in and asked for a baguette. It was only 90 cents and it was still warm. The baguette crust was a lot flakier than the baguettes in France, but it was a delicious breakfast. The inside was perfect. I walked up the hill eating my baguette until I saw a sign pointing towards the museum…good thing the sign pointed straight up a huge hill. I walked up the hill and then had to take so many stairs I can't even tell you; there were at least 10 flights. After one flight there was a small park area with a few chairs. I sat there eating the rest of my baguette and looking over the whole of Barcelona. I watched a woman hang a comforter out of her window and watched cars go by in the city below. It was so picturesque. All I could think was that it was the most perfect day and that I didn't know how long it would be until I had a perfect day like this again. After most of my baguette was finished I got up and made it to the top and started to look around for the museum sign. I found a cluster of directional signs but the museum wasn't on there. I turned in the other direction and figured that I'd hopefully stumble upon the museum. First I found a really cute park with sculptures in it. I looked around for a bit and then went back onto the main road. It was just my luck that the museum was right there.
There were two sculptures outside of the building. One was a big circle of hay with a baby doll on top. It was perfect. I went inside and bought my ticket. Barcelona is so expensive. The student ticket cost me seven euros, but it was totally worth it. The first section of the museum was about Barcelona during the world wars. There were propaganda photos, artwork, and newspaper clippings from Spain, France, and Germany. I stopped to read all of the articles in French, and I was really surprised that I could at least get the gist of all of them. I can read in French! One of the posters said that the French were fighting with someone and the phrase "until all of their hate" was used. I thought that I'd never read such powerful words before. I didn't realize it was possible to hate someone you didn't know and didn't know anything about.
In the war section there were also other subgenres included. There was a car, factory photographs, war photographs, videos, an area dedicated to a Jack Johnson fight (whom I had just learned about yesterday), circuses, a Charlie Chaplin video, pornographic movies, sculptures (one was called the hand of God and I really liked it), and daily life scenes. There were also about four Picassos. The selection was amazing and it made me glad that I had paid the seven euros. After I finished in the war section I moved onto the collection of Miró works. It started off with some sculptures from him and a huge weaving. Next the collection moved into his paintings. My favorite painting was one that had been burned so that the entire center was missing and there were burn spots on the rest of it. There was also a movie about Miro and some photographs of him. My favorite part was the outdoor area that had a few sculptures. The view was absolutely amazing.
By the time I left the museum it ws already past 12:30. I had seen the building that contained the furnicular and figured that I'd take that down to the metro stop Espayne (where I got off last night for the fountain show). It turns out that the furnicular was closd so I had to walk all the way back down to where I had come from. Going down huge hills and flights are stairs is so much easier than climbing up them. I wasn't even winded this time. The next item on my list of things to do was seeing the church Santa Maria del Mar. I took the metro to the stop on my list and got off. It turns out that it's the same stop that I got off at yesterday for barri gotic. Lucky for me none of the streets near I was were listed on my directions. I started wandering around trying to find the church. I went to the church I saw yesterday and then wove my way through the area. I went to the official soccer store and bought the soccer scarf that Matthew requested. I then found another church that had a tourist map in front of it. It turns out that the church that I was looking for was across the street.
I crossed the street and saw a mother helping her young son pee into a planter. I'm pretty sure that you would be arrested for that in the states. The street was filled with clothing and jewelry vendors and I stopped to look at some rings. There wasn't anything worth buying so I kept moving. I found the church but it appeared to be closed. I took some pictures and then went back to the metro. My plan was to go to a park that seemed to be really beautiful. It took forever to get all the way out there, and my reward was not finding the park anywhere. The park wasn't even on the map. I decided to minimize my losses and left.
The next item on my list was seeing the arc de triomf. I had seen it from a distance while on the bus, but I thought that I could snap a few photos and then leave all in five minutes. I took the metro to the stop called arc de triomf and got off. The arc is literally right there. It was surprisingly beautiful. It's not like the arches in Paris or Rome that see so…imposing. This arch is made of red bricks with sculptures of women and bas-reliefs at the top in white marble. I really liked it. The area was really nice and there was a long promenade stretching out behind it. I walked along and saw men making bubbles for children. I walked all the way to the end and figured out that Parque Ciutadella was located right behind the promenade. I walked through a part that I hadn't explored yesterday and exited into a small shopping neighborhood.
By this point I wasn't quite hungry but slightly frustrated and tired from my adventures. I had been yawning since two and I needed a treat. I walked around until I found a gelato store. I was standing there looking at flavors when a few adults and their kids just pushed in front of me. I couldn't believe that they would do that! I just stood there and waited. I ordered a single scoop of Kinder and went on my way. I somehow looped around to Santa Maria again and saw that this time the church was open. I wanted to go inside but I knew that I had to finish my ice cream first. I walked back to a plaza and ate my ice cream while watching a man make bubbles for a hoard of children (including the evil kids who had cut in front of me!). I finished my treat and then went into the church. You're not allowed inside without paying, but you can squeeze into a small area in the back behind glass to look into the church. It's so beautiful on the inside. It was light and airy and the stained glass windows really popped in front of the gray stone. I wanted to go inside, but I didn't think it was worth it.
It was getting close to dark and I wanted some time to relax at the beach instead of my crazy schedule of running around. I walked to a V15 stop near the metro in the barri gotic and rode it to the edge of the harbor. I hopped out to look at some booths that there set up on the sidewalk. There were vendors selling everything from candy to soap to churros. I was going to get soap for mom, but it was three euros. I think that I've already gotten her enough soap. I left the area and cut through the neighborhood to get to the beach. I walked out near the water and sat down on the sand. It was so relaxing despite constantly being bothered by vendors selling mojitos, beers, and coconut. I wished that I had brought my book, but I didn't want to drag it around with me all day. I just lay there in the sand for awhile looking out at the waves until the sun moved and it became cold on my patch of sand.
I got off the beach and walked along the plaza near the sand. I watched a father change his daughter's diaper on a park bench. I saw street performers and people walking their dogs. Speaking of dogs, everyone in Barcelona brings their dog on the metro. It's so strange. I walked back along the harbor in search of dinner. I remembered seeing a place that sold only fries yesterday while I was on the bus and I wanted to find it again. I had to walk passed tons of restaurants with maître d's outside who kept hitting on me. It was very uncomfortable. I finally found the fries stand and looked at the menu. The small fries were 2,50, but for 1,50 more I could add toppings. One of the options was two cheese (cheddar and emmental) which I just had to have. I managed to order my food entirely in Spanish! I'm so cool. After awhile my fries came out and I went in search of a metro or bus stop. The fries were….too salty? They had a slightly funny taste to them and the cheese sauce really didn't taste like anything. On the plus side there were a lot of fries, but not enough to really fill me up.
I was almost to a metro stop when this guy started talking to me. I quickly figured out that he just wasn't being friendly and broke away from him. I didn't want to get on the metro with my fries so I kept walking. I knew that I was near parque ciutadella and behind that was arc de triomf so I could just take the metro from there. I got to the park and sat down for a second just to fish the last few fries out of the bottom of the cone. I then walked to the metro.
I came back to the hotel and asked the front desk manager if I could send him my boarding pass to print. He said yes and gave me the address to send it to. I came upstairs and sent an email to the address and looked up information for tomorrow. I just couldn't get myself to go downstairs. My legs hurt so badly. I can't even walk. I did manage to go downstairs and pick up my sheet. I then came upstairs and messed around on the internet before taking a bath while watching Judge Judy. I needed to sit.
Now I have to book my hotel for tomorrow before going to bed. I'm going to take the six o'clock train to the airport so I have to be up at five. Maybe I'll go get food….I'm starving.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
they said he wandered very far very far/over land and sea
Today was my second day in Barcelona. I'm exhausted.
Last night after I talked to you my stomach was growling out of control. I had to do something. I googled the local McDo's to see what time it closed. The website said one am so I grabbed my stuff and ran over. I was going to use one of the machines to order but I had forgotten my debit card at home. I went to the cashier and order a six piece mcnugget and a small order of fries. It was ready to go before I even paid. I ate my fries as I walked back to my hotel and then proceeded to shove down the nuggets with barbecue sauce like a crazy person. I was too full to move afterwards so I just went to bed.
I set my alarm for nine and a half hours, and my alarm woke me up this morning. It was still dark outside (I could see the outside throw a crack in the curtains) and I was reluctant to get up. A little prodding later and I was up by nine and out the door by 9:30. First on my list was going to park barceloneta so that I could see the beach. I walked to the bus stop and had just missed the V15. I had to wait about 16 minutes for another bus to come. I was cold while I waited because the tall buildings on the street act as a wind tunnel and block the sun. I was wearing my coat and scarf because I knew it would be chilly outside, but I knew that I'd have to carry it later. It was worth it. The bus finally came and I got on. I went past familiar places from yesterday and was enjoying my ride. This bus had a screen to tell the riders what the next stop would be. I got off at what I thought was my correct stop and started walking along the harbor. There were tons of perfectly white boats and fancy restaurants along the waterfront. It was pretty even in the early morning gray.
I was starting to get hungry so I crossed the street to be near the restaurants. Nothing was really open so I thought that I should just choose whatever was open. I found a cafe with a man smoking outside and decided to go there. The sign out front said that they served churros and chocolate so I figured that I get that so that I could cross it off my list. I ordered and then sat outside to watch the few people who were out at ten in the morning. The owner brought out my hot chocolate which was followed a few minutes later by my churros. The hot chocolate tasted like cocoa when I first sipped it, but after a second it tasted like nothing. It was also lava hot; the roof of my mouth is still burnt. The churros were tear drop shaped and only sprinkled with white sugar. They were still slightly raw on the inside. I dipped the churros in my hot cocoa and people watched. When the dishes first came out I didn't think that it was very much food. After I finished I was so full that I could barely move. I think I would have enjoyed my breakfast more if the owner wasn't sitting one table over from me using his phone. He did manage to teach me the word for check. I paid my 5,25 euros and left.
I went back to walking along the harbor until I saw a sign that pointed to the park. I crossed through the block of buildings and out onto a plaza on the other side. The beach was right there! I walked out to the sand and felt how smooth it was under my boots. I watched as a machine came along to smooth the sand. The water was so blue and the sand has a reddish tint to it. It was like California. I might go back to the beach tomorrow. I only stayed for a few minutes and then was back on my hunt for the park. I passed a park but it didn't seem too impressive so I kept walking. I then saw a sign that pointed to the park which said that it was in the opposite direction. I figured that the unimpressive park was the one I was looking for; it was. I walked through it and took a picture of the tiled tower coming out of the center of it. I walked around and found myself passing a football stadium which lead into an area dominated by a highway. I didn't think I should be there so I retraced my steps.
I knew that I needed to find a bus so I walked until I found a stop. The next place on my list of things to see was parque ciutadella and my directions said that I was supposed to start from the Barceloneta metro stop. The busses that picked up from that stop all said they would stop at the metro station. I hopped on the next bus and made sure to look out the window for my stop. I saw my stop…and then rode the bus past it. I got off at the next stop and walked back to the metro. I had a bit of trouble finding my way to the park because I set off in the wrong direction and then went down an alleyway. I finally found the park, and it was amazing. Right when I entered there were two lines of orange trees framing a path to a white marble fountain that was in front of a beautiful Spanish building. The park had the unique red dirt of Barcelona on the wide paths as well as grassy areas. There were also several ornate buildings and I found a small fountain like those at Versailles. There was also a lake where you could rent a boat. For the first time in my travels I wished that I had someone with me so that I could rent a boat. The pricing options started for two people and I dismissed the idea of going alone. Next I saw the famous fountain shown in all of the pictures for the park. It looks like Las Vegas. There is a golden statue with horses at the very top of a tan pyramid like structure. Beneath it is a huge pool and then an outer pool with horse head states. It was like the fountain came from a long lost society like Atlantis. I loved it. I really liked the park. There were white marble statues tucked into all areas of the park. There was also a huge aluminum sculputure at the entrance opposite where I had entered. I didn't see the entire park because I figured I should use the time to see other things. I should have stayed longer.
I then walked back to the metro and went off to see Sagrada Familia. I heard that the church was a must see. I easily found my way through the metro (including an interchange) and got off the metro at the foot of the church. Wow. I have never seen a church that looked like that before. I don't even know how to describe it. The church covered in so many bas-reliefs that it looks like stalagmites dripping off of the façade. There are also niches on the façade that tell stories that I'm not familiar with. The archways over the doors had bas-reliefs of men in military uniforms with swords. I could even describe it. I would have gone in but it wasn't free and I think that I heard that it was really expensive. Shame.
I had done the last thing on my to do list so I went back to my hotel to sit down for a minute and find other things to do. A friend of mine from Paris (Tatiana) had sent me a facebook message of things to do in Barcelona. I looked at her message and saw that she suggested barri gotic. I looked up the directions and set out. I got on the V15 and tried to find the right stop. I've been having a devil of a time with the bus. I rode it until I thought I was in the right spot and got off. While on the bus I had seen a Christmas market set up in a square and I knew that I had to visit it. I wandered through the market looking at the different stalls. It was mostlly nativity figurines and some Christmas treet stalls. I was going to get a Tio de Nadal but I decided that I didn't need one.
I then started walking around. It turns out that I was in the right spot. I took a picture of the cathedral and then walking into the neighborhood. The buildings are mostly from the 1800s and the streets are tiny and dim due to the lack of sunlight. I walked around until I came to a plaza. There was a huge Christmas treet set up and an enormous nativity scene. I took pictures and then kept walking. I was getting hungry so I wanted to find somewhere to eat. I popped into the first place where I saw fries on the menu. It turns out that the stand only serves french fries and falafel sandwiches served by a blonde woman with dreadlocks. I ordered my fries and was handed a cup for saue. I chose aioli. I then snagged one of the few seats in the restaurant and waited for my fries. The woman brought over a huge cone of fries and set it into the specially designed hole in the wooden counter that served as the table. The fries were thickly cut and perfectly soft on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside. The aioli was oddly sweet but tasty at the same time. I went through my first huge cup of sauce and then decided to get ketchup instead of more aioli. I should have stuck to the aioli. I finished my fries (that were only 2,20 and more than enough to fill me up) and left.
I walked through the area looking at tourist shops. I think tomorrow I'm going to get myself something with tile because it seems to be the speciality of the area. I was still thinking about what to get Jimmy as his souvenir of Barcelona. He really wants to see Spain so I felt a need to get him something. I knew just the unique item that I should get him. I can't tell you what it is, but I'll give you hints: it's a unique part of the Barcelona nativity scene and it's vulgar. I picked up the item and got on the metro back to my hotel.
I got to the hotel and messed around on the internet before looking up places to go to tomorrow. Paris has really spoiled me. I'm so used to not paying for museums or cultural activities that it makes me sad that nothing is free in Barcelona. I guess that I'll just have to get over it. I wrote down the directions for a few places and then got ready to go. Tatiana had told me about the magic fountain show and told me that I had to go. It only happens on Friday and Saturday nights so I had to go tonight. I left the house at six so that I would be on time for the seven o'clock show.
I took the metro and easily found the fountain. The area is really pretty. There is a huge statue in the center of the traffic lanes right when you get off the metro. There was also a huge Christmas tree made of lights in front of one of the buildings. I took some pictures and then headed to the fountain. There were illegal vendors pedaling everything from light up toys that fly in the sky to beer to Chinese fans. I took the escalators up to the plaza and took some pictures. There is some kind of ornate building at the top of the hill and with rows of fountains leading up to it. It was beautiful even before the show started. I walked through the crowd and found a spot sitting on the stops in front of the fountain. I was about half an hour early so I sat on the steps and waited for the show to start. You know one thing I won't miss about Europe is that people sit so close to you that they actually touch you. There's no respect for personal space. I need breathing room! Besides the crowds I loved it. Since it's Christmastime the fountain had a Christmas themed show for the first few minutes before moving into more modern songs (mostly in English). It was like Fantastia (I assume, I'm not really even sure what Fantastia is). I stayed for half an hour and then took the metro back to the hotel.
I wasn't hungry yet, but I still remembered yesterday's middle of the night food run. I thought that I'd just grab some chips at the quickie mart near my apartment and call it a night. I went into the store and discovered that it has a terrible chip selection. I'd just have to get something else. I looked at the Chinese food menu and passed, then another Chinese food menu and passed. I then saw a tapas bar across the street and went to look at the menu. They had patates braves so I figured that I'd just get that. I sat down at a table and looked at the menu. The worker then asked me if I knew what I wanted and I told him that I didn't speak Spanish. He brought me the English menu and I picked out a "Berna" sandwich because it was described as pork with garlic sauce. I got my food to go and watched VH1 music videos on the tv and my food was being prepared. The bar was exactly the kind of small restaurant that you'd expect to find in Spain. I found it interesting that there was a special wooden bar that they put on the day's newspaper so that readers wouldn't jumble the pages. After a few minutes my food was ready and I left.
I came back to my hotel and got read to eat my dinner. I then saw something that looked like a huge pill sitting on the nightstand and a white towel on the floor. Someone had been inside my room after I had left! The pill looking thing (it was wrapped in the silver wrapping like a pill) was some kind of chocolately nut shenangians. I ate it but was still a little weirded out. I then ate my dinner while watching Judge Judy. The sanwich was delicious! Number one it was huge, and it was on a toasty French roll. The chunks of pork were perfectly fried and not fatty at all, and the whole thing was covered in some kind of a white sauce. I loved it. I finished my food with a few minutes to spare before mom called on skype. We talked for a bit then I took my shower. I'm so ready for bed.
Last night after I talked to you my stomach was growling out of control. I had to do something. I googled the local McDo's to see what time it closed. The website said one am so I grabbed my stuff and ran over. I was going to use one of the machines to order but I had forgotten my debit card at home. I went to the cashier and order a six piece mcnugget and a small order of fries. It was ready to go before I even paid. I ate my fries as I walked back to my hotel and then proceeded to shove down the nuggets with barbecue sauce like a crazy person. I was too full to move afterwards so I just went to bed.
I set my alarm for nine and a half hours, and my alarm woke me up this morning. It was still dark outside (I could see the outside throw a crack in the curtains) and I was reluctant to get up. A little prodding later and I was up by nine and out the door by 9:30. First on my list was going to park barceloneta so that I could see the beach. I walked to the bus stop and had just missed the V15. I had to wait about 16 minutes for another bus to come. I was cold while I waited because the tall buildings on the street act as a wind tunnel and block the sun. I was wearing my coat and scarf because I knew it would be chilly outside, but I knew that I'd have to carry it later. It was worth it. The bus finally came and I got on. I went past familiar places from yesterday and was enjoying my ride. This bus had a screen to tell the riders what the next stop would be. I got off at what I thought was my correct stop and started walking along the harbor. There were tons of perfectly white boats and fancy restaurants along the waterfront. It was pretty even in the early morning gray.
I was starting to get hungry so I crossed the street to be near the restaurants. Nothing was really open so I thought that I should just choose whatever was open. I found a cafe with a man smoking outside and decided to go there. The sign out front said that they served churros and chocolate so I figured that I get that so that I could cross it off my list. I ordered and then sat outside to watch the few people who were out at ten in the morning. The owner brought out my hot chocolate which was followed a few minutes later by my churros. The hot chocolate tasted like cocoa when I first sipped it, but after a second it tasted like nothing. It was also lava hot; the roof of my mouth is still burnt. The churros were tear drop shaped and only sprinkled with white sugar. They were still slightly raw on the inside. I dipped the churros in my hot cocoa and people watched. When the dishes first came out I didn't think that it was very much food. After I finished I was so full that I could barely move. I think I would have enjoyed my breakfast more if the owner wasn't sitting one table over from me using his phone. He did manage to teach me the word for check. I paid my 5,25 euros and left.
I went back to walking along the harbor until I saw a sign that pointed to the park. I crossed through the block of buildings and out onto a plaza on the other side. The beach was right there! I walked out to the sand and felt how smooth it was under my boots. I watched as a machine came along to smooth the sand. The water was so blue and the sand has a reddish tint to it. It was like California. I might go back to the beach tomorrow. I only stayed for a few minutes and then was back on my hunt for the park. I passed a park but it didn't seem too impressive so I kept walking. I then saw a sign that pointed to the park which said that it was in the opposite direction. I figured that the unimpressive park was the one I was looking for; it was. I walked through it and took a picture of the tiled tower coming out of the center of it. I walked around and found myself passing a football stadium which lead into an area dominated by a highway. I didn't think I should be there so I retraced my steps.
I knew that I needed to find a bus so I walked until I found a stop. The next place on my list of things to see was parque ciutadella and my directions said that I was supposed to start from the Barceloneta metro stop. The busses that picked up from that stop all said they would stop at the metro station. I hopped on the next bus and made sure to look out the window for my stop. I saw my stop…and then rode the bus past it. I got off at the next stop and walked back to the metro. I had a bit of trouble finding my way to the park because I set off in the wrong direction and then went down an alleyway. I finally found the park, and it was amazing. Right when I entered there were two lines of orange trees framing a path to a white marble fountain that was in front of a beautiful Spanish building. The park had the unique red dirt of Barcelona on the wide paths as well as grassy areas. There were also several ornate buildings and I found a small fountain like those at Versailles. There was also a lake where you could rent a boat. For the first time in my travels I wished that I had someone with me so that I could rent a boat. The pricing options started for two people and I dismissed the idea of going alone. Next I saw the famous fountain shown in all of the pictures for the park. It looks like Las Vegas. There is a golden statue with horses at the very top of a tan pyramid like structure. Beneath it is a huge pool and then an outer pool with horse head states. It was like the fountain came from a long lost society like Atlantis. I loved it. I really liked the park. There were white marble statues tucked into all areas of the park. There was also a huge aluminum sculputure at the entrance opposite where I had entered. I didn't see the entire park because I figured I should use the time to see other things. I should have stayed longer.
I then walked back to the metro and went off to see Sagrada Familia. I heard that the church was a must see. I easily found my way through the metro (including an interchange) and got off the metro at the foot of the church. Wow. I have never seen a church that looked like that before. I don't even know how to describe it. The church covered in so many bas-reliefs that it looks like stalagmites dripping off of the façade. There are also niches on the façade that tell stories that I'm not familiar with. The archways over the doors had bas-reliefs of men in military uniforms with swords. I could even describe it. I would have gone in but it wasn't free and I think that I heard that it was really expensive. Shame.
I had done the last thing on my to do list so I went back to my hotel to sit down for a minute and find other things to do. A friend of mine from Paris (Tatiana) had sent me a facebook message of things to do in Barcelona. I looked at her message and saw that she suggested barri gotic. I looked up the directions and set out. I got on the V15 and tried to find the right stop. I've been having a devil of a time with the bus. I rode it until I thought I was in the right spot and got off. While on the bus I had seen a Christmas market set up in a square and I knew that I had to visit it. I wandered through the market looking at the different stalls. It was mostlly nativity figurines and some Christmas treet stalls. I was going to get a Tio de Nadal but I decided that I didn't need one.
I then started walking around. It turns out that I was in the right spot. I took a picture of the cathedral and then walking into the neighborhood. The buildings are mostly from the 1800s and the streets are tiny and dim due to the lack of sunlight. I walked around until I came to a plaza. There was a huge Christmas treet set up and an enormous nativity scene. I took pictures and then kept walking. I was getting hungry so I wanted to find somewhere to eat. I popped into the first place where I saw fries on the menu. It turns out that the stand only serves french fries and falafel sandwiches served by a blonde woman with dreadlocks. I ordered my fries and was handed a cup for saue. I chose aioli. I then snagged one of the few seats in the restaurant and waited for my fries. The woman brought over a huge cone of fries and set it into the specially designed hole in the wooden counter that served as the table. The fries were thickly cut and perfectly soft on the inside with a slight crunch on the outside. The aioli was oddly sweet but tasty at the same time. I went through my first huge cup of sauce and then decided to get ketchup instead of more aioli. I should have stuck to the aioli. I finished my fries (that were only 2,20 and more than enough to fill me up) and left.
I walked through the area looking at tourist shops. I think tomorrow I'm going to get myself something with tile because it seems to be the speciality of the area. I was still thinking about what to get Jimmy as his souvenir of Barcelona. He really wants to see Spain so I felt a need to get him something. I knew just the unique item that I should get him. I can't tell you what it is, but I'll give you hints: it's a unique part of the Barcelona nativity scene and it's vulgar. I picked up the item and got on the metro back to my hotel.
I got to the hotel and messed around on the internet before looking up places to go to tomorrow. Paris has really spoiled me. I'm so used to not paying for museums or cultural activities that it makes me sad that nothing is free in Barcelona. I guess that I'll just have to get over it. I wrote down the directions for a few places and then got ready to go. Tatiana had told me about the magic fountain show and told me that I had to go. It only happens on Friday and Saturday nights so I had to go tonight. I left the house at six so that I would be on time for the seven o'clock show.
I took the metro and easily found the fountain. The area is really pretty. There is a huge statue in the center of the traffic lanes right when you get off the metro. There was also a huge Christmas tree made of lights in front of one of the buildings. I took some pictures and then headed to the fountain. There were illegal vendors pedaling everything from light up toys that fly in the sky to beer to Chinese fans. I took the escalators up to the plaza and took some pictures. There is some kind of ornate building at the top of the hill and with rows of fountains leading up to it. It was beautiful even before the show started. I walked through the crowd and found a spot sitting on the stops in front of the fountain. I was about half an hour early so I sat on the steps and waited for the show to start. You know one thing I won't miss about Europe is that people sit so close to you that they actually touch you. There's no respect for personal space. I need breathing room! Besides the crowds I loved it. Since it's Christmastime the fountain had a Christmas themed show for the first few minutes before moving into more modern songs (mostly in English). It was like Fantastia (I assume, I'm not really even sure what Fantastia is). I stayed for half an hour and then took the metro back to the hotel.
I wasn't hungry yet, but I still remembered yesterday's middle of the night food run. I thought that I'd just grab some chips at the quickie mart near my apartment and call it a night. I went into the store and discovered that it has a terrible chip selection. I'd just have to get something else. I looked at the Chinese food menu and passed, then another Chinese food menu and passed. I then saw a tapas bar across the street and went to look at the menu. They had patates braves so I figured that I'd just get that. I sat down at a table and looked at the menu. The worker then asked me if I knew what I wanted and I told him that I didn't speak Spanish. He brought me the English menu and I picked out a "Berna" sandwich because it was described as pork with garlic sauce. I got my food to go and watched VH1 music videos on the tv and my food was being prepared. The bar was exactly the kind of small restaurant that you'd expect to find in Spain. I found it interesting that there was a special wooden bar that they put on the day's newspaper so that readers wouldn't jumble the pages. After a few minutes my food was ready and I left.
I came back to my hotel and got read to eat my dinner. I then saw something that looked like a huge pill sitting on the nightstand and a white towel on the floor. Someone had been inside my room after I had left! The pill looking thing (it was wrapped in the silver wrapping like a pill) was some kind of chocolately nut shenangians. I ate it but was still a little weirded out. I then ate my dinner while watching Judge Judy. The sanwich was delicious! Number one it was huge, and it was on a toasty French roll. The chunks of pork were perfectly fried and not fatty at all, and the whole thing was covered in some kind of a white sauce. I loved it. I finished my food with a few minutes to spare before mom called on skype. We talked for a bit then I took my shower. I'm so ready for bed.
Friday, December 19, 2014
pas de même vol
I'm finally on vacation! I love Barcelona. I'm thinking about never leaving.
The kids were noisy on my floor again last night. I think they did it as a going away present. The noise cuppled with not being actually tired and being oddly hot despite the heater being off lead to a sleepless night for me. My alarm went off at four am and I got moving. I stumbled around and made myself a cup of coffee but didn't even bother to heat the water. I did my makeup, stripped the bed, did my last minute packing, and double checked everything. I wasn't even sad to leave. I left the key on the table, turned off the lights, and shut the door. The end.
I took my blanket, towels, bathroom mat, and some miscellaneous kitchen items with me downstairs so I could put them on the curb. Just as I was getting in the elevator Hanna and Eunice were getting off. Eunice's eyes were bloodshot and she looked like she had either been crying or in a fight. I said good morning and left. I dropped the things on the curb and started walking to the train station. There were no cars on the road and I only passed one or two people every once in awhile. When I got to the intersection before the bridge there was a bus full of sleepy looking people. I felt their pain. A cab driver gave me the eye and tried to pick me up but I igorned him. I could already see the station. Why waste money.
I got to the station and remembered that the ticket machines at Gare d'Austerlitz don't take cash! What was I supposed to do?! I got downstairs and saw a group of men sleeping on a raised platform. I then saw one worker in an orange vest and flagged him down. He didn't speak French but I was able to communicate to him that I needed a ticket machine. He took me over to the machine and then I pulled out a ten euro bill to show him that I only had bills and no coins. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his personal change purse to give me change for the ten. What a nice man. If it wasn't weird I would have hugged him. I bought my ticket for Pont de Rungis and got on the RER C. My ticket was only 4,90 which surprised me. The website I looked at said that it started at about 11 euros. I guess it was my lucky day. The train was completely empty considering that it was 5:12 in the morning. We picked up a few people along the way but not many at all.
I got to Pont de Rungis and then found the bus that transfers to the train station. I stood at the front of the bus trying to count out coins for the driver. He looked mad. Exactly 2,50 and a few minutes later we were at the airport. I found where I was supposed to check in and got in line. I made sure to shove my purse into my flower bag so that I wouldn't be charged for it. I was almost at the front of the line when I heard one of the ticket agents call for people going to Barcelona. I figured that she was referring to my flight and went to the front of the line. She gave me my boarding pass, weighed by bag (only 3.5 kg out of the 10 I was allowed) and sent me to go through security. I got to security and the real trouble began. I hadn't even thought that bringing my shower gel and hair stuff on the plane would be a problem. It turns out that it was. My bag had to be torn apart and examined while a woman waved a wand over my palms and made sure that I wasn't wearing a belt. Surprisingly they let me go through the metal detector wearing all of my jewelry. The man seemed very amused by my Poe book and skimmed through the pages. He even called a coworker over to look at it. Just put the Poe in the bag so I can leave! He finally let me go after discarding my liquids and I ran to get onto my flight.
I stood in line for the airplane going to Barcelona and got to the front. The woman scanned my ticket and it flashed red. Then she said the dreaded words that I was not expecting "pas de même flight"; I was trying to get on the wrong flight. It was only seven and my plane wasn't leaving until 9:45. Oh well, perfect time to write to you and surf the internet. We'll skip ahead to my flight boarding. It did that. The flight was really boring. No drinks, and there was so little leg room that my knees hit the chair in front of me. I tried to sleep a bit but I really couldn't get comfortable. In less than two hours it was all over. I didn't have any checked baggage so I just went straight to the exit…which I couldn't find. I finally found the way out and then couldn't find the train. I wandered around outside for awhile before I figured that I was supposed to buy a bus ticket to get to the train. Good thing the ticket machine didn't take my debit card; it was the wrong bus. I then went inside and asked at information how to get to the train. The woman was very nice and spoke English. She told me to take the green bus to terminal two and then I could get the train from there.
I found the bus, went to terminal two, and then found my way to the train. I was just about to buy a 10,90 T10 ticket when I figured that was the wrong ticket. I then went to the ticket agent. The ticket to Passeig de Gràcia was only 4,50 and she pointed to the train I should take (there was only one train on the track). I got on the train and waited for my stop. There was a group of English boys on the train who were super annoying. I was sad that they got off at my stop. I found my way to the street level and just as luck would have it headed in the right direction. I found my hotel in no time (well, as quickly as a girl carrying 3.5 kg of luggage across her chest can go). The front desk told me that they put me in a double because it's more comfortable. I'm just assuming that they didn't have the single that I had asked for. One of the men at the lobby brought me upstairs and showed me how to turn on the lights with my key. The room is amazing!! This is the life. I then called the front desk so that the same man could come upstairs and connect my laptop to the internet. I stayed in the room just long enough to straighten my hair and get my things together. I was outside in no time.
There's a small restaurant next door that serves paella and I was starving. I went there and asked the waitress if I could order food. She didn't speak English but we managed. I picked out the most appealing paella and she came over to take my order. She then told me that the paella was 12,90 and too big to be a personal size. I thanked her and left. I didn't need that much paella in my life. I then wandered back in the direction of my hotel and saw the bus stop that I was supposed to take to the Picasso museum. I hadn't bought my tourist pass yet so I wandered back to the train station to get a pass. First, though, was finding food. I saw a place called Tapa Tapa and looked at the menu. The prices seemed decent and I was starving. I asked the hostess if I could just take a seat and she seated me on the sidewalk so I could people watch. I looked the menu over and decided on patatas braves after Morgan recommended them. I also had my heart set on sangria but I didn't see it on the menu. The waiter took my order (and seemed slightly shocked that I only wanted one tapa) and I asked for the wine menu. I saw that there was sangria on the menu but it didn't say that it came by the glass. I asked him if it did, and he said that I could get a glass of sangria. Score!
My smaller than expected plate of tapas came out with the world's biggest glass of sangria. It could have drowned a child. I sucked down the perfectly sweet yet diluted sangria while munching on my potatoes. They were delicious! They came with a spicy tomatoe sauce (that didn't actually taste like tomatoes) and some kind of white sauce. I was in heaven. I didn't even feel tipsy until the end of my meal. I then stumbled off to find the train station. I found it and paid the 20 euros for a three day tourist pass. Next I had to go back to find the bus. I saw a stop 15 right near the metro and tried to get on. I had my directions in hand and asked the bus driver if he would be going there. He spoke perfect English and told me that, no, his bus wouldn't go there and that I had to walk over to the stop near my hotel. He let me off the bus and I started walking. I only waited a minute for the bus to come once I was at the stop. It turns out that the doors on buses in Barcelona don't open immediatley when you stand in front of them. The driver almost left me when I panicked and tried to go to the center door. He strugged as I validated my ticket.
I loved riding on the bus. The sky was perfectly blue and Barcelona is so beautiful that it was nice to see a tour of it without having to walk. I even managed to take some pictures out of the bus window. I just so happened to see a sign for the museum out of the bus window and got off at the next stop. I walked back to the sign and followed it to the museum. The museum is located in several townhouses in an alleyway that date from the 13-15th centuries that underwent renovation in the 18th century (yes, I just looked that up). The architecture is so beautiful, and the inside is shadowy and cool due to the lack of sun. I wish that the rooms were in an easier pattern to follow. The were in open squares so that you went through a section and looped back to where you were in the beginning. It was difficult to follow. Othere than that I really loved the museum. The floors are all gray marble and in some rooms you actually walked through some of the stone structural arches. There was also a room that had a huge chandelier and was covered in gold accents on top of dark green paint. There were also marble angels over the doorways in the room.
I'm not really a Picasso fan but I really liked this selection. There were a lot of his more realist works and tons of photographs of him. They also had his entire series based off of Les Meninas, some of his Parisian works from 1900, and a few blue periods. I really enjoyed it.
I left the musem and had to find my way back to some form of public transportation. A man stopped and said something to the extent of "wow" as I passed him. I kept walking. I then went to the metro stop near where I had gotten off the bus. It was line four and all of my directions for the other sites I wanted to visit were on line three. I figured that I could take the four and see where I could connect to the three. It turns out that I could take the four to Passeig de Gràcia then take the three from there. Perfect. I decided to go see Park Güell because everyone who has been to Barcelona really liked it. I tried to get on the metro, but it turns out that the ticket station I passed my ticket through had you walk through the right hand side and pass your ticket on the left. The man saw me struggle when the gate didn't open and directed me on how to walk through. What a nice man. I've met some very nice strangers today.
I got off at the neareset metro stop and started walking. There were street signs that pointed towards the park, and I was less than thrilled when the signs pointed straight up a seemingly 90 degree hill. There were escalators…for half of it. The other half had to be climbed with no stairs. My heart was definitely beating once I got to the park. The park itself was rather unimpressive when I first got there. The hill where I was mostly contained cacti and other dessert shrubs. I can see that in California. I real magic is the view. You can see all of the city and the ocean in the distance. I was there at sunset so there was an amazing orange hue. I walked around taking pictures of the setting sun with the perfectly blue, cloudless sky. It was actually kinda magical. I then explored the lower sections where I had heard the thundering noise of children playing. It turns out that you have to pay to go into that section and you're only allowed 30 minutes to explore. I'll survive without it.
I left the park and walked back down the hill to the metro. On my way to the metro and man and his two daughters asked me where to find the park. He was attempting to navigate using the small tourist map that we're all given. I gave him my instructions after tearing off the top part about the metro. I told them that it was all the way at the top of the hill where they had seen the escalators. One of his daughters seemed shocked and the other one less than excited. I wished them a good day and got on the metro. People actually sit on the floor (well kids do) on the metro here. It weirds me out. Also, the metro door has a weird handle that you're supposed to push up but not hold. I'll get the hang of it. I got back to my station and tried to find the right exit. I ended up finding the way exit and almost got lost. It was already dark so I knew that I needed to get inside. I stayed calm and found my hotel.
I then started watching music videos from this group called Pomplamousse. Raven had used their version of "La Vie en Rose" for her Mon Paris presentation. Their videos are hilarious and I really like the way they remix their cover songs. I became obsessed with watching their videos and had to drag myself away to take a shower before skyping with mom. I tried to turn on the shower but couldn't figure it out. I instead took the most luxurious bath ever while continuing my music video binge. This is the best vacation ever. I had to drag myself away from the tub so that I could Skype with mom at eight. We talked and then I looked up directions for a few things to do tomorrow. I'm going to go to the beach and at night I'm going to see the water show. I'm so excited.
My only problem now is that I'm starving and it's already 10:09 at night. What to do…..
The kids were noisy on my floor again last night. I think they did it as a going away present. The noise cuppled with not being actually tired and being oddly hot despite the heater being off lead to a sleepless night for me. My alarm went off at four am and I got moving. I stumbled around and made myself a cup of coffee but didn't even bother to heat the water. I did my makeup, stripped the bed, did my last minute packing, and double checked everything. I wasn't even sad to leave. I left the key on the table, turned off the lights, and shut the door. The end.
I took my blanket, towels, bathroom mat, and some miscellaneous kitchen items with me downstairs so I could put them on the curb. Just as I was getting in the elevator Hanna and Eunice were getting off. Eunice's eyes were bloodshot and she looked like she had either been crying or in a fight. I said good morning and left. I dropped the things on the curb and started walking to the train station. There were no cars on the road and I only passed one or two people every once in awhile. When I got to the intersection before the bridge there was a bus full of sleepy looking people. I felt their pain. A cab driver gave me the eye and tried to pick me up but I igorned him. I could already see the station. Why waste money.
I got to the station and remembered that the ticket machines at Gare d'Austerlitz don't take cash! What was I supposed to do?! I got downstairs and saw a group of men sleeping on a raised platform. I then saw one worker in an orange vest and flagged him down. He didn't speak French but I was able to communicate to him that I needed a ticket machine. He took me over to the machine and then I pulled out a ten euro bill to show him that I only had bills and no coins. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his personal change purse to give me change for the ten. What a nice man. If it wasn't weird I would have hugged him. I bought my ticket for Pont de Rungis and got on the RER C. My ticket was only 4,90 which surprised me. The website I looked at said that it started at about 11 euros. I guess it was my lucky day. The train was completely empty considering that it was 5:12 in the morning. We picked up a few people along the way but not many at all.
I got to Pont de Rungis and then found the bus that transfers to the train station. I stood at the front of the bus trying to count out coins for the driver. He looked mad. Exactly 2,50 and a few minutes later we were at the airport. I found where I was supposed to check in and got in line. I made sure to shove my purse into my flower bag so that I wouldn't be charged for it. I was almost at the front of the line when I heard one of the ticket agents call for people going to Barcelona. I figured that she was referring to my flight and went to the front of the line. She gave me my boarding pass, weighed by bag (only 3.5 kg out of the 10 I was allowed) and sent me to go through security. I got to security and the real trouble began. I hadn't even thought that bringing my shower gel and hair stuff on the plane would be a problem. It turns out that it was. My bag had to be torn apart and examined while a woman waved a wand over my palms and made sure that I wasn't wearing a belt. Surprisingly they let me go through the metal detector wearing all of my jewelry. The man seemed very amused by my Poe book and skimmed through the pages. He even called a coworker over to look at it. Just put the Poe in the bag so I can leave! He finally let me go after discarding my liquids and I ran to get onto my flight.
I stood in line for the airplane going to Barcelona and got to the front. The woman scanned my ticket and it flashed red. Then she said the dreaded words that I was not expecting "pas de même flight"; I was trying to get on the wrong flight. It was only seven and my plane wasn't leaving until 9:45. Oh well, perfect time to write to you and surf the internet. We'll skip ahead to my flight boarding. It did that. The flight was really boring. No drinks, and there was so little leg room that my knees hit the chair in front of me. I tried to sleep a bit but I really couldn't get comfortable. In less than two hours it was all over. I didn't have any checked baggage so I just went straight to the exit…which I couldn't find. I finally found the way out and then couldn't find the train. I wandered around outside for awhile before I figured that I was supposed to buy a bus ticket to get to the train. Good thing the ticket machine didn't take my debit card; it was the wrong bus. I then went inside and asked at information how to get to the train. The woman was very nice and spoke English. She told me to take the green bus to terminal two and then I could get the train from there.
I found the bus, went to terminal two, and then found my way to the train. I was just about to buy a 10,90 T10 ticket when I figured that was the wrong ticket. I then went to the ticket agent. The ticket to Passeig de Gràcia was only 4,50 and she pointed to the train I should take (there was only one train on the track). I got on the train and waited for my stop. There was a group of English boys on the train who were super annoying. I was sad that they got off at my stop. I found my way to the street level and just as luck would have it headed in the right direction. I found my hotel in no time (well, as quickly as a girl carrying 3.5 kg of luggage across her chest can go). The front desk told me that they put me in a double because it's more comfortable. I'm just assuming that they didn't have the single that I had asked for. One of the men at the lobby brought me upstairs and showed me how to turn on the lights with my key. The room is amazing!! This is the life. I then called the front desk so that the same man could come upstairs and connect my laptop to the internet. I stayed in the room just long enough to straighten my hair and get my things together. I was outside in no time.
There's a small restaurant next door that serves paella and I was starving. I went there and asked the waitress if I could order food. She didn't speak English but we managed. I picked out the most appealing paella and she came over to take my order. She then told me that the paella was 12,90 and too big to be a personal size. I thanked her and left. I didn't need that much paella in my life. I then wandered back in the direction of my hotel and saw the bus stop that I was supposed to take to the Picasso museum. I hadn't bought my tourist pass yet so I wandered back to the train station to get a pass. First, though, was finding food. I saw a place called Tapa Tapa and looked at the menu. The prices seemed decent and I was starving. I asked the hostess if I could just take a seat and she seated me on the sidewalk so I could people watch. I looked the menu over and decided on patatas braves after Morgan recommended them. I also had my heart set on sangria but I didn't see it on the menu. The waiter took my order (and seemed slightly shocked that I only wanted one tapa) and I asked for the wine menu. I saw that there was sangria on the menu but it didn't say that it came by the glass. I asked him if it did, and he said that I could get a glass of sangria. Score!
My smaller than expected plate of tapas came out with the world's biggest glass of sangria. It could have drowned a child. I sucked down the perfectly sweet yet diluted sangria while munching on my potatoes. They were delicious! They came with a spicy tomatoe sauce (that didn't actually taste like tomatoes) and some kind of white sauce. I was in heaven. I didn't even feel tipsy until the end of my meal. I then stumbled off to find the train station. I found it and paid the 20 euros for a three day tourist pass. Next I had to go back to find the bus. I saw a stop 15 right near the metro and tried to get on. I had my directions in hand and asked the bus driver if he would be going there. He spoke perfect English and told me that, no, his bus wouldn't go there and that I had to walk over to the stop near my hotel. He let me off the bus and I started walking. I only waited a minute for the bus to come once I was at the stop. It turns out that the doors on buses in Barcelona don't open immediatley when you stand in front of them. The driver almost left me when I panicked and tried to go to the center door. He strugged as I validated my ticket.
I loved riding on the bus. The sky was perfectly blue and Barcelona is so beautiful that it was nice to see a tour of it without having to walk. I even managed to take some pictures out of the bus window. I just so happened to see a sign for the museum out of the bus window and got off at the next stop. I walked back to the sign and followed it to the museum. The museum is located in several townhouses in an alleyway that date from the 13-15th centuries that underwent renovation in the 18th century (yes, I just looked that up). The architecture is so beautiful, and the inside is shadowy and cool due to the lack of sun. I wish that the rooms were in an easier pattern to follow. The were in open squares so that you went through a section and looped back to where you were in the beginning. It was difficult to follow. Othere than that I really loved the museum. The floors are all gray marble and in some rooms you actually walked through some of the stone structural arches. There was also a room that had a huge chandelier and was covered in gold accents on top of dark green paint. There were also marble angels over the doorways in the room.
I'm not really a Picasso fan but I really liked this selection. There were a lot of his more realist works and tons of photographs of him. They also had his entire series based off of Les Meninas, some of his Parisian works from 1900, and a few blue periods. I really enjoyed it.
I left the musem and had to find my way back to some form of public transportation. A man stopped and said something to the extent of "wow" as I passed him. I kept walking. I then went to the metro stop near where I had gotten off the bus. It was line four and all of my directions for the other sites I wanted to visit were on line three. I figured that I could take the four and see where I could connect to the three. It turns out that I could take the four to Passeig de Gràcia then take the three from there. Perfect. I decided to go see Park Güell because everyone who has been to Barcelona really liked it. I tried to get on the metro, but it turns out that the ticket station I passed my ticket through had you walk through the right hand side and pass your ticket on the left. The man saw me struggle when the gate didn't open and directed me on how to walk through. What a nice man. I've met some very nice strangers today.
Town hall
I got off at the neareset metro stop and started walking. There were street signs that pointed towards the park, and I was less than thrilled when the signs pointed straight up a seemingly 90 degree hill. There were escalators…for half of it. The other half had to be climbed with no stairs. My heart was definitely beating once I got to the park. The park itself was rather unimpressive when I first got there. The hill where I was mostly contained cacti and other dessert shrubs. I can see that in California. I real magic is the view. You can see all of the city and the ocean in the distance. I was there at sunset so there was an amazing orange hue. I walked around taking pictures of the setting sun with the perfectly blue, cloudless sky. It was actually kinda magical. I then explored the lower sections where I had heard the thundering noise of children playing. It turns out that you have to pay to go into that section and you're only allowed 30 minutes to explore. I'll survive without it.
A tower in the park
a flower
the view from the park
the view away from the ocean
at the top of the park
the ocean!
view from the park
I then started watching music videos from this group called Pomplamousse. Raven had used their version of "La Vie en Rose" for her Mon Paris presentation. Their videos are hilarious and I really like the way they remix their cover songs. I became obsessed with watching their videos and had to drag myself away to take a shower before skyping with mom. I tried to turn on the shower but couldn't figure it out. I instead took the most luxurious bath ever while continuing my music video binge. This is the best vacation ever. I had to drag myself away from the tub so that I could Skype with mom at eight. We talked and then I looked up directions for a few things to do tomorrow. I'm going to go to the beach and at night I'm going to see the water show. I'm so excited.
My only problem now is that I'm starving and it's already 10:09 at night. What to do…..
Thursday, December 18, 2014
what boarding pass?!
Guess who just tried to get on the wrong flight. It has been a long morning and it's only 6:44. We'll talk about all of this later.
So yesterday. I couldn't sleep at all the other night because the kids on my hall were going insane. I was woken up from a dead sleep by the sound of girls' voices in the hallway. It was driving me nuts so I got up. Turns out that my lovely neighbor Alex had her door wide open and was talking to a friend as they moved Alex's five million bags out. I was still half asleep as I asked Alex if she could close the door to which she responded "ummm, of course" with a weird smile on her face that was more like "bitch, please" than "I'm so sorry for waking you up!" I really hate that girl. I got back to sleep just to be woken up by other kids in the hallway. I checked my phone to find out that it was after three in the morning. I had to be up at 7:30! I'm so glad that I'm gone from that evil place.
I woke up at 7:30 and was just not feeling it due to all of the noise. I made my coffee and got dressed. It has been unusually warm these past few days but I still insist on dressing like an Eskimo. I got myself a few scoops of mash potatoes and sat down at my computer. I was going to leave early so that I could print my French presentation, but of course 8:14 arrived before I intended it to and I had to rush out the door. I saw Morgan when I got downstairs and we walked to school together. She said that the kids next door to her had been noisy the other night too. I then told her about my favorite drinking stories that I had overheard from the kids. Turns out that I'm not the only old person who is bothered by the noise and can't wait to get rid of the other kids. They're really little shits.
We got to school and I tried to print my presentation. It turns out that the computer messed up my formatting and then wouldn't let me fix it properly. I rushed to try to fix it, but it was never the same again. I'm so glad that I never have to deal with that printing situation again. Yesterday was a lot of lasts for me. I finally printed my presentation and went upstairs. My professor was already upstairs with Shanni (who had given her the flowers already) and was setting the table for our Christmas breakfast. She had brought all sorts of pastries (including an orange flavored cake that had a small plastic baby inside. whoever got the baby would have to wear a crown as their reward. Irene got it). She also brought orange juice, coffee, hot cocoa, a baguette, and nectarines. We always start class late so it was 8:50 before we even passed around the evaluations for people who had yet to do them. We got started with the presentations after 9:15 and had nothing but problems. We couldn't figure out how to log into anyone's email using the professor's computer, we had sound problems, you name it and we had a problem with it yesterday. I was number 15 (dead last) because I was signing our professor's card when people were signing up for spots.
The time kept getting closer and closer to eleven and I knew that I wasn't going to do my presentation. We had a bit of good luck at the end and were able to get through everyone but Tatiana and me. Our professor asked if we could stay after class and give our presentations, and of course I agreed. At the end of class we packed everything up and everyone started leaving their books in a pile. I thought that I could keep my French book, but it turns out that I had to trade my book in and that they would give me and old edition in return. I said that I'd bring my book in later when I came in for my pop final. My professor, Tatiana, and I went upstairs to the teacher's lounge (which is super nice, by the way) and did our presentations. I hugged my professor goodbye and she asked if I was going to continue studying French. I told her that I couldn't take a class but would be taking a book home to continue to study on my own. She said to send her an email and that she would try to send me the listenings and online exercises for the book. I was sad to leave her. She's amazing.
I was going to take pictures of the school and everything but I totally forgot in my haze to go home. I was also going to stop by the post office to get stamps, but I was out of coins; I had made change for Kenia during French class so that she could pay our professor 1,50. I managed to take a picture of my favorite street art that was on my walk home. I also took some pictures of the outside of the building, but when I tried to take a picture of the inside my camera wouldn't turn back on. I thought it was broken! I took some pictures on my phone and went upstairs. I wanted to get a lot of packing done before my final. I also had to talk to Patrick about taking my bags over to him. I took some things downstairs to the curb that I didn't think that I could give away for donation; flip flops, my clothes baskets, seasonings. I packed and ate mashed potatoes and managed to make plans with Patrick. I was supposed to meet him on the line 14 platform at pyramides at 4:30. My head was killing me, and I was not feeling calm at all. I took some advil and went to my final doom.
When I went downstairs the things I had left on the curb were already gone. I smiled for some odd reason. I walked to school and then took pictures of the school before going inside to wait for my final to start. We were all downstairs at 1:30 wondering where Mindy was. It turns out that they moved where our final was to Chanel instead of our normal room. Only god knows why. We went upstairs late and Mindy passed out the final. I can't even speak. The final was so terrible. I'm just praying to the sweet lord that I got an 80%. It went that badly. I was one of four students who were writing until Mindy called one minute. Victor kept writing until after the one minute warning. He does care after all. He just prefers to judge me for my caring. I turned in my final and Mindy handed me my final paper. 95%. 95 goddamn percent! I guess that's better than a 90, but I just couldn't even do it anymore. I was so mad and uggggggggh!!!! When Mindy said goodbye I didn't even say anything. I just left.
I went to the UC center to turn in my books. Shelby was there and said that she couldn't find the fifth edition that she was supposed to trade me for. She finally found a copy and we said goodbye. I told her thank you for putting up with me, and she responded "thank you for choosing our program" with a weird fake smile on her face. Really, Shelby? "thank you for choosing our program" like a robot? She strange. On the way out Mindy was coming in. She asked when I was leaving and I told her about my travel plans. It was weird and totally fake. I'm glad that I'll never see her again.
Callie was downstairs when I got into the courtyard and we walked home together. I stopped and took a few pictures before going back home. It was like the circle of life; Callie was the first person I met and the last person I talked to. Life is so strange sometimes. I went upstairs and checked for the last few things that I needed to pack before going to meet Patrick. I confirmed when and where I was meeting him, grabbed my huge amount of luggage, and went to the metro. I carried my bags downstairs at the same time like a pro. I then got to the gate and saw one open. I tried to walk through it because I thought that the gate would close on one of my bags before I could get both of them and myself through the gate. The gate closed on my big bag. Good thing a woman came behind me and I motioned to her to swipe a ticket for me as I handed one from my pocket to her. She shook her head and motioned that she's swipe her ticket and go through the gate with me. I thanked her and got to the 14 platform. The metro actually wasn't busy at all and I had no problems getting to pyramides.
I checked my phone and saw that it was only 4:07. I sat down to wait for Patrick. I finally saw his reflection walking towards me and waited for him to get to me to get up. I kissed him on both cheeks like the Frenchwoman I am and he remarked that he thought that I said that I wouldn't kiss him. Those aren't kisses, that's cheek touching with kissing noises! We wound through the station (with him carrying my big bag up the myriad of stairs as I took the escalator) and got onto the seven. Being with him was really awkward. I just wanted to get it over with. After the seven we had to take a special train. While on the train we talked partially in English and partially and French and got along fine. It turns out that he lives in zone five. Zone freaking five!!!!! We got off the train and walked through his town to his house. It was an adorable French suburb that Patrick says that he hates living in but that I loved. Everything was decorated for Christmas and it was adorable. We finally arrived at a run down house and I prayed that wasn't his; of course it was. He put my bags in the garage and I told him that I could walk to the train station myself. It turns out that you have to drive to the RER because you can't take the train we came on back to Paris. We had some language difficulties because I didn't understand why he wanted to drive. We finally figured it out and he drove me the 20 minutes to the station. He said that he would have swiped for me but there were three adorable policemen standing there. I paid for a ticket to Paris (4,90!) and left. À lundi.
I took the RER A back to Gare de Lyon. I already told you about my little moment of realization in my short post last night.We can just skip all of that business. My stomach was really rumbling at this point. I thought that I would get McDo for dinner, but I then decided to stop and get a kebab at the restaurant near the train station (you remember them from my sit down meal a thousand months ago; holy shit I was in Paris for forever). I ordered a chicken sandwich to go. It was already six euros (fifty cents pricier than I'm used to) so I figured it was a treat. When my food was ready I asked for cheese. The cashier told me that it was fifty cents more for cheese! I'm pretty sure that they just fleeced me because I don't speak French, but I really like the cheap single cheese that's vaguely like American cheese. It was worth the fifty cents.
I got home and got in the elevator just for Hanna to get in too. I complimented her bottle of wine and then told her that I had a huge beer that I still hadn't drunk and asked her if she wanted it. She actually laughed and smiled while I was talking to her. It was so…normal. She seems like a nice girl; when I'm not trying to sleep. I got to my apartment and tried to open my beer to go with my dinner. It turns out that there's no bottle opener in my apartment. I finally just gave up and cracked open my last orangina for dinner. I watched parenthood on netflix while eating dinner. Holy shit it was delicious. The chicken was perfectly charred and the cheese was delicious. Sadly my fries were limp and I didn't get ketchup on them. It was still amazing.
Next up was putting all of my stuff into my bag and cleaning the apartment. I wiped everything down as best as I could and then tried to sweep the floor. It wasn't perfect, but it was clean enough to pass inspection. It's going to be professionally cleaned on Saturday so I'm not too worried…hopefully. I took a shower and made sure that everything was in place. I then went out to get some more money and something for breakfast. I took out my plants and a bag of things for the curb; they were still there this morning. I went to the ATM and got out 40 euros. I then went to Franprix and picked out some waffles. I got to the register and couldn't find one euro. The woman saw me digging and said that I definitely had enough money. She picked the coins out of my hand for me. I was slightly embarrassed, but less so when I loudly exclaimed "voilà" and the woman behind me in line laughed. It was already a rough night. I shoved the waffles in my bag and tried to find my keys in my bag. I had been holding them in my hand when I went downstairs and I could swear that I shoved them in my purse when I got out my debit card. They were nowhere to be found! Of course I would lose my keys the night before I move out. I finally found them in my outside pocket.
I went upstairs and started to look up things for my flight and my trip to Barcelona. I looked up how to get to Orly and how to get from the airport to my hotel. I then looked at my flight information and thought that I should read the fine print. It said to print out my boarding pass before I got to the airport!! What?!!!!!!! I followed the instructions to check myself in and then generated my boarding pass, but I couldn't print it. I messaged Matthew to tell mom that it was an emergency. I frantically put on shoes with no socks (I still wasn't wearing a bra) and went to ask the security guard if he knew where I could print. He said no. I got in the elevator and went upstairs to ask Kate as a last resort. She opened the door after I had almost gotten on the elevator. I told her that I was sorry to bother her and that I needed to print my boarding pass. She told me to go to the internet cafe and print. She tried to tell me the street but I don't know any of the street names. She said that it was near Gare de Lyon and I left in a hurry. I saw an email from mom telling me to get at least 200 euros for my trip. I grabbed my purse and ran out the door. I knew that there was a printing place near my apartment but I always see it when it's closed. I ran over and it was open! I went inside and asked the man behind the counter if he spoke English and could help me. The man he was helping told me that I'm in France and should speak French. Fuck off; this is an emergency. I opened my email and printed the document. I accidentally logged off of my session before I logged off my email. I had the man reopen my session and then I logged off. He told me it was 95 cents. I only had a five. I apologized profusely and left.
I stopped at the ATM and got 90 euros (the machine skips from 60 to 90 euros; no 80 euro option that is preset). I then went home and saw Kate as I was getting on the elevator and we chatted like everything was fine. I hugged her as I got off the elevator and told her goodbye. I then went inside my apartment and responded to mom's email. I told her that everything was fine. I then looked up some more things for Barcelona and googled the directions for how to get to the Picasso Museum in Barcelona. It was already 9:30 and I was getting up at four to make sure that I got to the airport in time. I quickly wrote to you and then went to sleep. We'll talk about the rest of my two day blur later tonight. I already have a lot to tell you.
au revoir, la maison brûlée
It has been a crazy day.
I'm sorry to do this to you (again), but I need to get some sleep before my flight tomorrow. I'm waking up at four am so that I can be on the first RER to the airport. It's Barcelona time!!
A few little things before I go. I'm done with school in Paris!! I almost cried when I hugged my French professor goodbye. My pop final was so difficult. I'd be lucky if I got an 80 on that one. I got a 95 on my pop paper. I wanted to hit someone. I took my baggage to Patrick's house today. He lives in zone five!! Did you know that you have to print your boarding pass before getting on the flight? I didn't. We'll talk about that tomorrow.
Just a quick thought while I'm thinking about it. A few minutes ago I heard this really loud noise outside that sounded like police/people reeving their cars. I looked out my window and saw this huge line of motorcyclists all with their red tail lights on. The noise must have gone on for 15 minutes. Is it weird that I was freaked out?
I had this moment on the RER A from Patrick's today. Everyone looked so sad. The RER is so depressing and grungy and all I could think was that I didn't want that to be my life. That wasn't the Paris that I had fallen in love with. It was time to let it go. I'm ready to move on now.
Time to kiss my apartment goodbye. It has been a blast. It's easier to say goodbye now that all of my things are gone. It's just as sterile as when I left it. It's like my life here didn't even happen.
I promise to fill you in on everything that I remember tomorrow. I'll probably have some time to write to you tomorrow while I'm at the airport. I've given you enough to hang your hat on for now.
Also, I guess I'll spoil the ending for you now. The title of the blog is named after the courtyard that my school was in: La Maison Brûlée.
I'm sorry to do this to you (again), but I need to get some sleep before my flight tomorrow. I'm waking up at four am so that I can be on the first RER to the airport. It's Barcelona time!!
A few little things before I go. I'm done with school in Paris!! I almost cried when I hugged my French professor goodbye. My pop final was so difficult. I'd be lucky if I got an 80 on that one. I got a 95 on my pop paper. I wanted to hit someone. I took my baggage to Patrick's house today. He lives in zone five!! Did you know that you have to print your boarding pass before getting on the flight? I didn't. We'll talk about that tomorrow.
Just a quick thought while I'm thinking about it. A few minutes ago I heard this really loud noise outside that sounded like police/people reeving their cars. I looked out my window and saw this huge line of motorcyclists all with their red tail lights on. The noise must have gone on for 15 minutes. Is it weird that I was freaked out?
I had this moment on the RER A from Patrick's today. Everyone looked so sad. The RER is so depressing and grungy and all I could think was that I didn't want that to be my life. That wasn't the Paris that I had fallen in love with. It was time to let it go. I'm ready to move on now.
Time to kiss my apartment goodbye. It has been a blast. It's easier to say goodbye now that all of my things are gone. It's just as sterile as when I left it. It's like my life here didn't even happen.
I promise to fill you in on everything that I remember tomorrow. I'll probably have some time to write to you tomorrow while I'm at the airport. I've given you enough to hang your hat on for now.
Also, I guess I'll spoil the ending for you now. The title of the blog is named after the courtyard that my school was in: La Maison Brûlée.
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
something's wrong when you regret/things that haven't happened yet
I'M GOING TO BARCELONA!!!!!!!
I woke up at seven this morning and set another alarm for an extra five minutes. It was just that kind of day. Before I tell you about today, I have to tell you about last night. So you remember lover boy and that he's keeping my suitcases for me, right? Well all of this happened last night after I talked to you:
I woke up at seven this morning and set another alarm for an extra five minutes. It was just that kind of day. Before I tell you about today, I have to tell you about last night. So you remember lover boy and that he's keeping my suitcases for me, right? Well all of this happened last night after I talked to you:
- shit. I've been talking to him all day only because he writes in French to me and it helps me practice. My life is so fucking weird.
Anyway, back to this morning. I woke up to an email from mom agreeing to the price I had found for my flight and telling me to book it. I thought that I should do it right then and just get it out of the way. I tried to book one flight that I had open in my browser but it was denied. I tried another browser and it had also expired. I picked the flight in a new browser and actually paid for the flight! Until I saw an email saying that my return flight was pending confirmation. I figured that it was nothing serious so I went along with my morning. I checked my facebook messages and then finally got up to study a few minutes after 7:30. First on my list of things to do was working on my French presentation. I wrote my last slide about if I ever get to come back to Paris and then wrote the sentences for my notes sheet. I fixed the presentation and then emailed it to my professor.
I wanted to finish studying for pop before my histories final at 3:30. I was getting along fine enough, but then I got a headache. I tried my best to push forward but I feel like the second I review something it flies right out of my head. Well there's nothing to do about that now. It's already bedtime.
I was studying away when I saw an email from the airline. The email was entirely in French so I google translated it. Turns out the word that I didn't know was that my payment had been denied for my return flight so I had to follow the link to pay for the flight. It turns out that I had to pick out the flight and go through the whole booking process again. Then I had problems with my credit card. I finally figured out the right code number and paid for the flight. Parfait. I then went back to studying. I then got more emails from the airline. The booking agency stated that I had paid them the full amount of the flight and the confirmation number was different than the one that I had just paid for after my rejected payment. I then got an email from the company that rejected my payment stating that the flight was five euros more and giving me a different booking number. I kept forwarding all the emails to mom so that we could figure it out when she woke up. It turns out that the booking agency had communicated with the return flight airline and that's why I was getting all those emails. The second email from the booking agency had the same flight number as the second email from the return flight airline. So complicated!!
Dealing with my flights was really distracting from the studying. By a little after twelve I still had three lectures to review and I wanted to reread the essay on Times Square for my histories final. I then got this series of emails:
Dear UC Students,
I’m contacting you to inform you that University of California would like to invite you to a farewell snack today!
Please come and enjoy a special Christmas snack with us at the ACCENT Paris Study Center at 3pm!
À tout à l'heure !
The ACCENT Team
Can you believe that your Paris semester is almost over? It seems like it was just yesterday that Carole and I were standing in front of you during orientation, handing over the keys to Paris. And now you are all Parisians, listening to David Guetta, ordering your cafe noisette and wearing black.
Please join us at 3pm today over in the ACCENT space to share a little bûche de Noël, the traditional French holiday sweet, and plenty of goodbye hugs and photos.
We will miss all of you, and hope that you will continue to hold Paris close to your hearts as you make your way to your next adventure, be it back to the USA or another study abroad experience.
Cordialement,
Shelby and Carole
I figured that I should go. There was the promise of a bûche de Noël after all. I was so done with studying so I took a break to do my makeup. Then I did another lecture. My stomach was really rumbling at this point so I thought that I'd go to the boulangerie. Good thing it was raining. I threw on some clothes and grabbed my umbrella and went downstairs. Lucky for me the boulangerie that's closest to my apartment was closed because it's Wednesday. I had to walk to the one on the corner that had a line going out the door because it was lunchtime and the other boulangerie was closed. As I was walking I saw a guy munching on a baguette while walking down the street without an umbrella. I thought how sad his soggy bread must be. I got to the boulangerie and waited huddled under the awning for what seemed like forever. Do you know that feeling of being slightly damp from the rain when it's just enough to make you conscious that you're out in the rain? It wasn't helping my life.
I got my baguette and went home. I only ate part of the baguette so that I could rush and skim the article. It was fairly helpful for my argument. I then finished the last pop lecture (wait, what I told you doesn't add up, I definitely only did one lecture after my bread run. I'm sorry that I've forgotten the details of my life already!). It was barely after two by then so I took some time to get into bed and relax before leaving. I watched some Judge Judy and then threw on a comfy sweater and tons of warm clothes and left the house a bit after three. I went to the UC center to turn in my reader (Nic gave me a weird look when he took it. Maybe they only wanted novels back?) and then went downstairs. Of course everyone and their mother was there. I saw Sandine from my pop class and asked why she didn't come to the review yesterday. I told her that I could send her the notes on facebook. I then just tore my notes out of my notebook for her. I wasn't going to review them anyway. I then went to a computer to print off my hotel and flight confirmations and then headed upstairs for my final. The door was locked and I had a few minutes so I left my stuff with Morgan and went downstairs to get cake. The center had laid out ice cream versions of bûche de Noëls in several flavors, different kinds of cakes, bonbons, soda, and apple cider. I got a piece of vanilla cake (which was different kinds of vanilla ice cream shaped to look like a cake) and went upstairs. The cake (sorry, ice cream) was delicious an the perfect distraction from my final.
Christina saw us all in the stairwell and went to get someone to unlock the door. We went inside and settled in for a minute before Christina announced that she decided to give us a Christmas/Hanukkah/going away present and then passed out the exam. She only made us write one essay instead of two! I then proceeded to take an hour and fifteen minutes to write one essay that was supposed to take 45 minutes. I wrote very slowly and kept crossing things out and fixing my bad handwriting. I feel like the essay turned out okay, but it's not going to win any awards any time soon. I was happy that I wasn't the last person in the room; actually I was far from it. I gathered my things and walked to turn in my exam. Christina made the hand gesture of "phew" and smiled at me as I said goodbye. It was a nice way to say goodbye. I'm really going to miss her.
I had planned on stopping at Monoprix to get mom's soap and scope out a scarf for Uncle Alvin. Mom has been hassling me all quarter to buy her soap from Monoprix. She read online that you can get real made in France soap at Monoprix for less than a euro. I thought that I should buy her the damn soap before it was too late. I found the hand soap section and then went kinda nuts. I ended up choosing about five bars of soap. I looked like a crazy person balancing that much soap on my books while swinging an umbrella from my wrist. I took my crazy parade to the men's section. I checked out the price of scarves and then paid for the soap. 9,48 worth of bar soap. I shoved it all in my purse and left.
Outside I saw Tatiana on her way home so we walked home together. We talked about finals and my upcoming trip to Barcelona. She's a nice girl, but I'm not in love. It has been so nice to have someone to walk to school with, though. I got to the elevator with Tatiana and Nora and Shanni from my French class got on. They were holding the bouquet of flowers that they had bought for our French professor. I asked them if they still needed money for the flowers and they said yes that it would be nice if I donated. I had the hardest time finding a one euro coin in my bag. I got off the elevator with them so that I could find the coin. I finally found it and then got back on the elevator. I came upstairs and knew that I had a lot to get done before my date with mom at eight.
First was washing all of the dishes in the sink. Then I made my packet of mashed potatoes and the packet of gravy. I'm so proud of myself with figuring out that there were measurements on the side of my hot wine souvenir cup and using the internet to convert that to cups. I washed dishes with one hand while eating the rest of my baguette with the other with two boiling pots on the stove. I was full from the bread but I couldn't resist making myself a huge bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. I added extra garlic powder and black pepper to the gravy and it was delicious! I was so full that I actually felt sick when I bent over to clean out my draws. I made signs for "donate" and "curb" and then started sorting out the things in my desk. Then I moved on to getting everything out of the cupboards. I then packed up all of the glassware that I bought when I was in Venice. Last was packing my clothes for Barcelona. I'm only taking my flower bag so that I can avoid any baggage fees. I might need to take some clothes out of it.
After all of that business I took a shower. Afterwards I turned my attention to my French presentation. Earlier in the day my professor had sent me three corrections that I needed to make. The first correction was really difficult for me. I tried to fix it and then emailed her back. She then emailed me that it was still wrong! I fixed it and emailed it back to her again. She said that I really earned my French breakfast tomorrow. I'm really going to miss her too. I tried my best to practice my script and then I tried to just just the key words on my slide to think of sentences without my script. I can semi do both of them. Who cares anymore. The presentation is only one of six in the class and I couldn't possibly fail. I'm ready to let go.
I finished practicing for my presentation with one second to spare before it was skype time with mom. We talked about my flight, that I have to get a hotel for Monday, Patrick (she reminded me to not leave money or credit cards in my luggage), and the Christmas tree that she bought with Matthew. I've decided to name the tree Henri the Noble Tree. Henri was the greatest king of France. He's going to be a very noble tree indeed. Mom made me make my Christmas list of five items as requested by dad. I couldn't think of anything. Mom wants me to get a blu ray player for my bedroom. I guess I'm getting one of those for Christmas. I requested underwear because I always do and because I'm legitimately out of it at the moment. I also asked for a set of champagne flutes because I only have three (I broke one years ago and never replaced it). I also asked for a used copy of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and a Bukowski. She didn't write down that I want a pony. We then made last minute plans for Tuesday. I told her my flight number and where to find me at the airport. My phone won't be working in California either so we're meeting at the baggage claim. Mom and I always talk for forever. She always makes me laugh.
I'm ready for tomorrow.
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