Day 115: The Day I Recovered From My Fabulous Vacation

No work today for Easter. I didn't know I wouldn't be working until right before I left for my trip so it was a nice surprise to have a recovery day built in. The 17 year old flew home from China today and the parents woke up early to go get her. My door is right by the front door and usually they are really good about trying not to be too loud. Sometimes however I think they forget. So much for sleeping in.

For the first time, we had lunch on the back patio. It's amazing how much this place has changed in the last 2 weeks. All the trees have all their leaves and you can no longer see through the forest. The Dad also used the grill for the first time. We sat around the table for a long time talking about our respective vacations. Still jet lagged, they headed to bed and I finished unpacking. Lazy Mondays.

Day 114: or The Day My Fabulous Vacation Ended

I was unable to print out my boarding pass or check in online for my flight. I’ve had the flight booked for months, and I was 95% sure nothing was wrong, but none the less I was slightly worried getting back to Paris would be an ordeal. My Dad’s flight was at noon and mine was at 2:00pm, so we took the Metro and arrived at the airport around 10:00am. I couldn’t even check in until 11:30, so we sat and had breakfast and said our goodbyes. These last 2 weeks went by unbelievably fast. I burned time until check in and then went to deal with any possible problems. While in line to check in, a girl told me that Expedia, who I also booked through, had a glitch in their system. Her April 24^th flight home was changed to a May 24^th flight. Immediately I was sure that was what happened to me and pulled out my email. No, I was safe. After that last bit of panic I was sure I was fine. And I was. Got rid of my bag and sat down to wait another 2 hours.

Everything went fine and I made it on the first leg of my journey. I ended up with a coveted empty middle seat and enjoyed my free beer. Got to love European airlines. The flight to Zurich was easy enough and the layover was short and without complications. On the flight to Paris, they showed a hidden camera show without any audio. For most of the flight, no one really watched because they were reading a book or on their computer. But when it came time to shut everything down for landing, you could hear more and more people laughing. It was beyond silly, but of course I laughed even harder than I should have due to the fact that I have a genetic disease that causes uncontrollable giggling.


I landed in Paris and made the familiar journey home. The train's were packed with travelers returning from Easter and spring vacations. The family arrived home just a couple of hours before I did so the Dad was able to pick me up from the airport. They were all jet lagged and were all asleep by 8:30pm. Now all I have to do is recover from my trip. 

Day 113: or The Day of The Acropolis

In Athens, the monuments and museums all seem to close around 2:30pm. That means you need to be up and moving at a decent hour to get all you need to accomplished. We got moving a little later than ideal, my fault of course. My Dad’s jetlag was finally gone, meaning he gets up before me. It was good while it lasted.

We stopped at a café and had sandwhiches near the base of the Acropolis. We decided to go through the museum first to get our bearings. The museum is fairly new and very nice. W spent a little less than an hour looking at all the statues and marble work they’ve removed from the Parthenon to restore or preserve. It’s amazing how huge the statues were up close compared to how they look on the building. The Carytids are massive, and the replicas they’ve put in their place on the real building look no bigger than life size.

After the museum, we made our way up the hill. Being a holiday, it was free and therefore packed. Granted, I have nothing to compare it to and I’m sure it’s always packed. We enjoyed the view and the monuments and slowly made our way around and then down. We walked a little farther down the Grand Promenade and took the Metro towards the National Archaelogical Museum. We made it with only 30 minutes to spare, but were still able to get a fairly good look through it. They had a lot of jewelry and gold work, coins and weapons. Almost all of it was in pristine condition. Hard to believe it’s as old as it is.

When the Museum kicked us out, we explore for a bit and ended up at a street café on a very busy pedestrian street. Out of nowhere, there are 20 cafes where one street over there was nothing but small shops and office buildings. My Dad got the grilled veggie plate and I got another sandwhich. He also got a mango granite which is basically a pulverized mango. Quite tasty. I got a beer. I’m so predictable. But, I didn’t remove the tomatoes from my sandwich, so at least that shows a bit of whimsy.

My beer and my father's fruity drink

After lunch we made it back to our hotel for a pre dinner nap. I feel like this whole trip has been eating. All I seem to do is walk from eatery to eatery with a few monuments in between. I’m not complaining though, that’s exactly my kind of vacation. For dinner, we chose a place overlooking the Parthenon. We arrive just at sunset for our 8:30pm reservation. It wasn’t crowded, and we got a table on the roof. From the ground floor it doesn’t look like the Parthenon will be visible but you’re high enough up that it’s a straight shot and a great view. We took pictures every 5 minutes to get the different lighting and had another big meal. We got zucchini balls and yougurt dip, and greek salad, pork souvlaki, and my Dad got pork stuffed with peppers, sundried tomatoes and cheese. Again we were served free liquor. This version was basically Greek Tequila and it had a kick. Everything was good and we left with no room for dessert. We made it back to the room and crashed. The last day in Greece was pretty productive.

Our view from the table

Day 112: or The Day We Left The Island

Dad woke up and made sure we were prepped and ready for an afternoon departure. We took care of everything and headed out for lunch and a hike. We hadn’t yet made it to the town of Imergovigli. It’s the highest point on the caldera, with an hour long hike out to a point with another chapel. Everywhere you look there are chapels and churches. You don’t realize how high the point is compared to the other towns until you’re up there, looking down. Pretty awesome view. We grabbed a salty crepe for me and a sweet waffle for my Dad. He also ordered a banana juice. Interesting choice.

We found our way to the staircase down the hill and made our way around the rock. The point sticks out from the rest of the coastline and is basically a giant rock. There is a path about halfway up and you walk around the rock to the farthest point. There you’ll find a white chapel and not many people. The weather was great and you could see a good ways off. We took our time walking back, seeing as it was uphill and I don’t do well with going up hill. Being from Houston, I find I am well below average when it comes to inclines. I know I’m in much better walking shape since I moved to Europe, but hills still get me. Sometimes I’ll comment on a hill and whomever I’m with says they didn’t even notice it was a hill. Bummer for me.

We stopped off at Fira and my Dad bought a Santorini shirt and I bought an evil eye charm. I like buying wearable souvenirs, they are much more practical. We also stopped for our last gelato. I do love anything to do with ice cream or it’s many variations. The town seemed much busier today than any other day. I’m not sure where all the people came from, but the town seemed totally different.

We got back to the room and said goodbye to the landlord. The car rental guy drove us to the port and we boarded our 5:00pm ferry back to the mainland. The ride was much different from the first ferry. We took the high speed ferry, cutting 3 hours from the trip. We were able to spend a full day on the island which was nice, and we got in to Athens at a more reasonable hour. The only thing was, and I’m not sure if this was a speed thing or not, it was a very rough ride. I don’t get easily sea sick, and I still didn’t, but I could see how someone could. Usually I find boats soothing when they rock. This boat wasn’t rocking. It was about the same as rough airplane turbulence. Still, there is more space than an airplane or train and you can get fresh air if you need it.

We arrived in Athens later than expected  but made great time getting to our hotel. My Mom booked it for us and I was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. I can sleep in a closet if need be, but this place wasn’t really anything to complain about. I was glad to finally have internet and am excited to see Athens a bit tomorrow.

Day 111: or The Day of The Volcano

Today was nice and sunny, but still windy. We made it down the 600 steps to the Old Port of Fira for our 10:30am boat tour. We were a bit early so we stopped and got a yogurt with honey. Greek yogurt is so good, and the honey is just enough to balance it. After that we headed to the boat, which was a traditional sailing ship of the area. Our first stop was the volcano island, Nea Kameni. It formed in the early 20^th century, and is due for another explosion sometime in the next 15 years. The guide told us a bit about the history, and we were free to walk around on our own. We saw the steam and smelled the sulfur. You could even feel the warmth beneath your feet, but it just felt like rocks in the sun to me.

Our next stop with the boat was the hot springs. We were all set to go, when she informed us of the temperature of said “hot” springs. To get there, you have to swim through normal sea, 16’c. Totally doable if your destination is warm enough. We were told to expect anywhere from 30’-35’. When we got there, the guide said it would be around 25’c. Not gonna do it, wouldn’t be prudent. I watched the crazies, and took some pictures of their misery. Honestly, I still would have done it had it not been that the trip wasn’t half over and sitting on that ship with wet hair for 2 more hours seemed like torture.

We stopped at the island of Thrassia for lunch and I had pork souvlaki and tzhaki. We were joined by the usual throng of cats. Have I mentioned that you don’t eat in Greece without cats all around your table? Well you do. The island isn’t touristy at all and is mainly the home of fisherman and and farmers. We headed back to the boat after we decided the staircase up the hill was much too daunting and started our journey back to the big island.

Your option up the hill is donkey ride, walking, or cable car. We chose the 3 minute cable car. Call me crazy, but I didn’t feel like smelling like donkey for the rest of the day. We headed back to the room for a shower and a break and then headed out for our last dinner on the island. We picked a place on the hill overlooking the whole island in the village of Pyrgos. The dinner was good and the view was great. The waiter acted very frantic even with only 3 tables. Hate to see how he acts when he’s actually busy. We ordered fava beans again, which were good, but our grilled vegetables came boiled and a good 10 minutes before the rest of the meal. Odd. We headed home, stuffed, after yet another huge meal.

Day 110: or The Day Second Day of Wine

The road up the hill

This morning was really windy, so we postponed our boat trip by a day. I feel like it must always be windy here, but some days are just worse than others. Today felt like monsoon season. After we got ready, we headed down to the beach for lunch. We tried the restaurant our landlord recommended, Ntomatini’s. It was a very traditional and they started us with complimentary Raki with honey and cinnamon. Not sure why they’re always trying to get us drunk, but it sure is friendly. I got a stuffed pork chop and Dad got a pasta dish. We also started with a spicy cheese dip that reminded me of really good pimento cheese.

After lunch we headed up the mountain to some ancient ruins that we knew were already closed, but we decided to check out the view anyways. This is where the wind really showed up. We took a really windy road up the hill, and when we got to the top, the wind actually pushed me backwards. I could barely open my door and was careful not to stand too close to the edge. On our way back down we stopped and walked a trail to a hidden (from the road), chapel and fresh water spring. The spring is in a cave and the travel books said it tastes amazing. A little too much of a risk for us though.

The puppy at the 1st winery

After the hill, we stopped off at a winery called Santorini Winery. We got the wine tasting of 4 wines and a small plate of veggies and cheese. Oddly enough, they gave us one glass. The women seemed slightly scattered, so we just went with it. She ended up only charging us for one tasting, and the wine was pretty good, but an odd little place none the less. We stopped at another winery, with an amazing view. Another recommendation from the landlord, Santo Winery is perched on the top of the rim of the caldera, with a panoramic view. We got a six wine tasting with cheese and tomato paste. The paste was, unappealing. It came with capers, so my Dad fished all those out, but even he didn’t really like it, for all of you thinking I’m too picky. May I remind you I ate fish eyes? Both wineries had the island specialty sweet dessert wine, Vinsanto. I’m not usually a fan of sweet wines, but this one was pretty good. Santorini has better conditions for white wines, and we agreed that their whites were better than their reds. They also grow their vines in wreathes on the ground for wind protection. It’s an odd sight to see all these circles of vines on the ground.

Second wine tasting, with nasty tomato paste

After the wineries, we headed back for a break before dinner. We had eaten so much cheese, bread, and fruit that dinner wasn’t even for certain. After a couple of hours, we headed back out after 9:00pm and grabbed a pita at a little bar in Fira. After a beer and some food, I was all set for some gelato. I was taught at a very young age that there is always room for ice cream. I got pistachio, which seemed to please the proprietor. He informed me it was the best, their first flavor. It was not disappointing. After that I was finally ready to go home, where I saw that I had not 1, but 2 Easter themed movies. Too hard to choose, so I chose sleep.

View from the second winery.

Day 109: or The Day We Ate At Katina's

First full day in Santorini was a fairly wet and windy day. We got up around 11:00am, seeing as how he didn’t get to sleep until 4:00am., and we made our way down the street for breakfast/lunch. I grabbed a sandwich and Coca-Cola Light; because I was too hungry too mess around with a risky order. I am all for ordering what is recommended and the local cuisine. But there comes a point in hunger, when you can’t risk a bad meal or just bad ordering. Dad got yoghurt and fruit because he wanted to make me look bad. But really, it looked good and was probably better than my sandwich.

We got back to the room in time to meet the car rental man. They brought it to us and offered to drop us at the port when we were ready to leave. We went into the room to rest after all we’d done so far and then headed to the Caldera side of the island. First stop was Fira. Fira is the main city on the island and has a lot of jewelry, clothing, and trinket shops. We stopped at one of the travel agencies and booked a sailing day between the islands for later in the week. We walked down the streets and saw the Catholic Cathedral. After a brief survey, we continued down the road to Oia, which is on the very top point of the island. It is known as a locale for sunset viewing and is a little smaller than Fira. Again, we walked the main street and stopped at some of the best views. There is the ruin of a castle at one point and you can see the whole length of the island. Just below Oia, is an old fishing port that now has a couple little restaurants. We were early for dinner again, but after stalling by walking down some paths, we grabbed a table at Katina’s. Katina was there, smiling and silently giving orders to the waiters. Before we ordered we were given complimentary grappa and fava beans. They make the fava beans into a paste like hummus and it’s a specialty of Santorini. It reminded me of mashed potatoes and was served with chopped onions. It was really good and we “jokingly” asked for the recipe multiple times. We started with fried calamari. Their version of fried is very light with barely any batter. It was some of, if not the, best calamari I’ve ever had. We ordered fish by picking which ones we wanted from a case. We picked a sea bass and a beetle fish. They were both grilled within sight and were quite tasty.  The waiters convinced us to try the cheek, eyeballs, and brain. They claimed they were the best part. The cheeks were good, but I wasn’t all that impressed by the eyes and brain, call me particular. At end of the meal, we got Baklava, compliments of “Ms. Katina”. Again, it was better than most I’d had in the states.

Katina's

After dinner we made it back to our side of the island and watched a movie. There are only 5 channels, and usually at night they’ll have 1 program in English. Being Easter week, the theme is Jesus. Tonight’s film was Joan of Arc. I watched until I needed to sleep, but it’s ok because I know how it ends.

Kiss me you fool

Day 108: or The Day We Took A Ferry

Mornings are not my thing. So it’s great when the sun is nowhere near up and I’m able to trick myself into thinking it’s still night. Sarcasm. We made it out the door on time and caught the first bus we saw. I had no idea where we were going, and relying on other people for directions is not my forte. I do not like feeling lost and would prefer to have a map on me at all times. We made it to the port and had a little bit of walk until we found out ferry. We had splurge and extra 10 Euros for assigned seats and I was ever so thankful when I saw the mass of people camped out on the benches. An 8 hour ferry ride on a bench? No thank you.

We slept most of the way, getting up every once in a while to check out the view. It was a bleak morning for the first couple of hours and I don’t think I missed much. By lunch time the sun had come out and we were passing island after island. The water is so blue it’s kind of unbelievable. I know I’ve been in Texas too long when the water starts to look blue. It’s crazy blue. We got to the port a little after 3:00pm and grabbed a taxi to the apartment. Our landlord was waiting for us and showed us the place. We are staying in Perissa Beach, which is on the West side of the island. It looks like a typical beach town, but being the off season, it’s quite and has a lazy vibe. We walked 100 meters down the road to the beach road that has all of the restaurants and bars. We saw the black sand beach and felt the water. It wasn’t freezing, but it was about 20 degrees away from me swimming in it. We stopped at a restaurant at the end called Aquarius for lamb and stuffed vine leaves. The vine leaves were quite good, much better than I’ve had in the states. We walked through town a bit and my Dad bought a book. He has fairly bad jet lag so finding something to do at 3:00am was near the top of his list. We made it back to the room and called it an early night after a long day.

Day 107: or The Day I Went To Greece

Sad face. I woke up and got my stuff together, alone. The girls don’t leave for home until tomorrow, so they stayed at the hotel, while I trudged all the way out to the airport. I find that the first half of any trip is mixed with sadness and a little bit of frustration over all that travelling entails. But the closer you get to you r destination, the more excited you feel, and you start feeling like all the hassle is worth it, which it of course is. My hip, and when I say hip, I mean butt but will use hip because it’s more polite, is killing me. My fall from 2 nights ago has made sitting for too long fairly uncomfortable. Good thing I’m going to be travelling for over 10 hours.

The trek to the airport wasn’t all that bad and I made pretty good time. I managed to check my bag without incident but noticed a slight whole in Madrid airport security. They checked my I.D. when I gave them my bag but no one checked to see if my boarding pass matched my passport. I only had to show my boarding pass at security. Surely not. After all the hassle it takes to get into and out of the U.K., I’d assume they’d be a little more vigilante. Nope. I made it all the way to Greece, through a couple of different countries without anyone verifying that I was who I was.

My Giant Airport Beer

Happy face. I landed in Greece a little pass midnight and was my bag was the first one on the belt. I met my Dad outside and we grabbed the bus into the city. From there we grabbed a taxi which ended up dropping us off God knows where. The women we rented from had drawn him a map, which he proceeded to think was ridiculous. Little did he know that at 1:00am, he’d be lost 2 blocks from the apartment, and that map would get us home. We made it back, settled in for the night at a little after 2:00am, and set our alarms for 5:30. Did I mention we’re catching the 7:30am ferry to Santorini? Longest travel day ever.

Day 106: or The Day of Futbol

I woke up this morning to the sound of the buzzer announcing our landlady. We had set a 9:00am checkout since we needed to leave by 9:30. Obviously, we over slept. We through everything in our bags and said adios to Barcelona. We had a great time, but we had one more night in Madrid. We were all tired but knew we had to take advantage of what little time we had left. The train back was horrendous. I managed to sleep, but with a bum hip, it was near to impossible to get comfortable. I don’t think I slept more than 15 minutes at a time. The train to Barcelona had been quiet and peaceful. The train back to Madrid was unbelievably loud. Not only was everyone talking, they were talking in their outside voices. Honestly, the fidgety babies next to me were no problem compared to the 70 year old Spanish women yelling across the coach.

When we got to Madrid, we were staying at the same hotel so there were no complications. I called my Dad who I knew had landed in Spain, to make sure everything was set for my arrival. We talked on Skype with the girls listening in. My Dad has a very specific way of talking on the phone. All voicemails start and end the same way and all conversations invariably follow the same format. I was happy to have the girls over hear the things my Dad feels the need to discuss. Some necessary, some not so necessary. At one point he started to let me know what he would be wearing when he came to the airport to meet me. In case I forgot what he looks like? The man loves details. Believe me, I’m in no way making fun of someone else’s communication style. If anything, I’m pointing out that my talkative nature didn’t come out of the blue. After everyone checked in at home we walked to Plaza Mayor and watched the street performers and ate lunch. We fought off the post lunch lull by walking around the Palace and through the Gardens next to it. On our way back to the hotel, we found a chocolateria that Marisa has recommended. We grabbed chocolate y churros and ate until we were sick. No longer able to fight off the siesta, we headed upstairs for a couple of hours. I didn’t manage to actually sleep, between catching up on my blog and making sure everything was in order for my trip tomorrow. At around 9:30pm, we headed out to an Irish pub to catch the Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona soccer game. We first stopped off at a pita restaurant for sustenance but the game was on there too. I think the game was on everywhere. When we got to the pub, there was a huge crowd, split down the middle between the two teams. We watched the game and it ended in a tie. I love soccer, but ties are lame. All that work, and there was no real winner. I understand that it still matters, but having a winner would have been nice. We headed back after the game and I prepared to leave once again.

Day 105: or The Day of Coconut Ice Cream

Being our last day in Barcelona, we wanted to make the most of it. However, since we woke up early the two previous days, we were a little slow starting. We decided to walk on the beach and we stopped and grabbed a bite. The beach was incredibly crowded with people selling beers out of plastic bags, massages, and henna tattoos. Every 2 minutes someone comes up to you trying to sell you something. We sat for a good while in the sand and then walked the rest of the beach. We saw some really cool restaurants right on the beach and a Japanese-Mediterranean one caught our eye. We all ordered the lunch special of different varieties. The girls are having a hard time with the lack of vegetables. If you do get veggies, they’re usually fried. I of course, haven’t noticed as much. I’m not saying I was totally unaware; it just didn’t bother me as much. The lunch ended with mango and coconut ice cream. So good. It was especially good because they gave Gabbie the wrong thing so I got to eat hers too. Yum.

We grabbed the Metro home for a siesta and tried to plan our last night. We ended up trying to find another restaurant which of course was no longer there. Linden has a good friend who lived in Barcelona who was nice enough to give us tips and advice. It just so happened that the places we decided to try were closed or moved. Luckily, the restaurant we picked was in a square she had recommended with multiple options. We picked a spot for tapas and people watching. It was very local and very fun. We had originally picked a bar in the area, but at the last minute I found a club near the apartment that would be easier to get home from. We took the Metro back, but it was still a bit too early for the club, around 12:20am. We noticed a bar a couple of doors down that seemed lively so we spent a couple of hours there. We met some Germans who were friendly and they came with us to the club. They were huge fans of “How I Met Your Mother”. I find that many Europeans love that show. At the club they played a mix of 80’s, 90’s and Spanish music. They even played the Greece soundtrack. It was an interesting place. We saw one of our bus tour guides and he seemed more than shocked to see us. Made us believe we had found a truly local place. When we showed up, prior to drinking, I managed to slip and fall at the top of a set of stairs. No one saw thank goodness, but I can honestly say it was the hardest fall I’ve ever taken. I feel like I broke my hip, my wrist, and my elbow. My ankle is scraped fairly badly too. I danced through the pain, and we ended up having a great night. We left late, around 5:30am, but we were happy to have at least one true night out.

Day 104: or The Day of Wine

Another early day, another bus tour outside of Barcelona. This tour was wine based however, and the drinking started at around 9:30am. The first winery we visited was Jean Leon and we were the only group there. It was small and beautiful. The guide was great and the wine was good. The girls and I hadn’t had a proper breakfast so I snuck a couple extra crackers to be on the safe side. We were on the tour with 6 other English speakers but were the only Americans. There were 3 Australians, 1 Canadian, and 2 English. We all got to talking at the second winery when we were blown away by the video they decided to show us. Blown away is not a good thing here. We were at the Torres winery and we were here to have lesson on pairing wine and certain foods. We were all just happy to get the chance to eat something but before we could do that, they took us a bit through the vineyards and cellar. In the “tram”, there was audio explaining a bit about the family and the history of the company. This would have been all well and good had we not just watched a similar video on the bus on the way to the vineyard. They also felt the need to add bird sounds randomly. They then drove us through a dark cellar in circles showing holographic images of monks. It was just bizarre but it was a bonding moment for the group because we couldn’t contain our laughter. When the "tour” was complete, we met with our guide who asked how we liked the ride. We all lied through our teeth and just hoped it would get better.

                                               

It did. The pairing lesson didn’t match the dramatics of the video and we left the winery a little bit later, having eaten a bit, and ready to try some Cava. We headed to the Freixenet factory/cellar. Cava is Spain’s sparkling white in case you didn’t know, and the girls and I had been enjoying it on our own. The tour was nice because they explained more about the process than the other wineries. They took us down into the cellar, which is a huge underground complex with more Cava than you can shake a stick at. But really, there’s a whole lot of booze down there. After the tour we sat down for cheese, pan con tomate, ham, and some almond cookie thing. And of course more wine. I don’t think I’ve mentioned pan con tomate. This tomato bread is everywhere and quite tasty. I don’t even really like raw tomatoes and I was always pleased when we’d get some. The girls on the other hand, loved it. Needless to say we rarely ate a meal without it.

After the Cava stop, we headed back to the city and back to our apartment. We accomplished our first siesta and were officially on Spanish time. We had planned on going to L’Eixample for dinner and then drinks. It’s the gay neighborhood of Barcelona and Gabbie had asked that we go check it out. The restaurant we had planned on going to could not be found at the address we were given, so we found a local place and gave it a try. We ordered tortillas patatas and some beer and then headed to a little Mexican restaurant I had found in a guide book. Yes, Mexican in Spain. The food was good and simple and after some Modelo Especial, we headed to the first stop of our Gay tour. We were of course early. Since Gabbie had dancing in mind, the club wasn’t exactly a right fit, so we left to try another one. Being a late night club, the second was also basically empty. Ten minutes later though and things started to pick up. We had a good time and after a while, we made it home and it was time to crash.

Day 103: or The Day of Dali

We had wanted to take a bus tour to an old Roman city and to the Dali museum in Figueres, but we never managed to find/buy tickets. We decided to just show up and see if we could pay there. The bus was leaving at 8:30, so we left with plenty of time and arrived at the meeting spot with 30 minutes to spare. After a minute or two without a plan, we managed to get ourselves onto the bus and headed north to the town of Girona.

We arrived in Girona and started the day off with a walking tour of the city. The city has a cathedral with the widest nave in Europe, except St. Peter’s I believe. It has Roman walls that they have kept in great shape and a Jewish Quarter with staircases for streets. The guide was entertaining and knowledgeable and we thought the tour was well done. Afterwards, we stopped at a café for sandwiches and patatas bravas. We had a little time before we had to get on the bus so we decided to tour the cathedral. It’s an impressive space. It’s a gothic cathedral and coming from Sagrada Familia, the different styles make it hard to believe they are used for the same purpose. It was dark and fairly simple except for the 15 or so chapels. Makes you appreciate Gaudi’s use of light.

We got back on the bus and made our way up to Figueres for the Dali museum. It was packed with class tours and the kids were beyond obnoxious. I’m not one to find kids annoying just because they’re kids. And I don’t entirely blame them. The museum isn’t exactly appropriate for middle school kids or even some high school boys. We could have spent more time going through it but we had to get out of there. I like some of Dali’s stuff and the museum was definitely impressive, but I don’t think I’d ever hang it in my own house. We grabbed gelato on the street and hopped on the bus back to Barcelona.

When we got back to town it was time for dinner so we decided to do a tapas bar crawl. We stopped at 4 different places and ate things we didn’t know the name of. I got to speak French to another lady who was questioning some of the menu items. Felt good to not feel totally lost by a foreign language, if only for a minute.

Day 102: or The Day We Went To The Picasso Museum

I woke up today and showered before waking the girls. I like that they aren’t on a European schedule yet because it makes me look responsible. After we all got ready, only 1 hour behind schedule, we headed to the metro on our way the Picasso Museum. The weather was great and the museum was interesting. It’s tucked away on a small street and almost hidden. It has all of his early work and a very small amount of cubism. It’s amazing to see what he was able to accomplish by the age of 15. Absolutely amazing.

We made our way up the hill to Park Guell, another Gaudi creation. I’ve decided that Gaudi may be one of my favorite artists/architects. His use of color and mosaic work is right up my alley. The park was beautiful we had a picnic of sandwiches. At the gate, it’s a bustling, busy, loud place. But once you get into the park, it’s quiet and peaceful. When we were sitting on a bench, I happened to see a bird land on a tree down the hill. I noticed it was different than the other pigeons flying around, so I went down to investigate. It was a green parrot, and it was pretty cool. After awhile, we headed down the hill and decided at the last minute to head to Gaudi’s Casa Milla.

The apartment building was beautiful, but the tour was a nowhere near as good as Sagrada Familia. We enjoyed the building, and all of us decided we would be happy to live in the building. We headed back to the apartment for ham, cheese, asparagus, grilled peppers and champagne. It was a great midday snack.

On the way home from the museums, we explored our little neighborhood a bit more. The street just out of view from our front door ended up having a bunch of cute patio restaurants. We stopped at the corner one and ended up having a great meal. I had a hamburger with caramelized onions and goat cheese. The house wine was great and less than 10 Euros a bottle. The girls are really appreciating European wine prices. 

Day 101: or The Day We Saw The Sagrada Familia

Woke up a little later than we wanted and made our way to Sagrada Familia. For those of you who’ve been to Barcelona, you know this already, but there are no words for this place. I’ve known what the outside looked like and the pictures don’t do it justice. It’s impressive, totally cool, and I could spend a whole day there. But the inside is what I think heaven looks like. To me, churches are very moving, and the building is just as important in faith building. The stain glass and stone work is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The pictures are nowhere near good enough. It was just plain unbelievable. I really hope they finish it in my life time, I’d really like to see that.

We went to the Mercat de la Boqueria after the cathedral and bought cheese, bread, jam, peppers and some chocolates. We went back to the apartment and had a little afternoon snack while listening to music. We haven’t quite figured out siestas yet though. We end up back in the apartment, but after a little food and too much talking, it was already time to go back out. Hopefully tomorrow will be better scheduled. We also busted out the cards I brought from France. Gabbie brought some great travel books and we went to Restaurant 7 Portes on their suggestion. We had a great meal of paella, spiny lobster soup, meatballs and cannelloni. Gabbie also had us try a liqueur called Fernet Branca. It was a little on the strong side for my taste, not sure how she does it. After dinner we walked around the harbor and after stopping to have a beer, we headed home.

We played card games and listened to music when we got back. Living in France, my music knowledge has diminished greatly. I always like switching out iPods and listening to different people’s choices. Good way to tell what’s going on in a person’s life.

Day 100: or The Day We Went To Barcelona

The day started a little rough with the girls recovering from jet lag. We all managed to get out the door by 9:45 and got to the train station in plenty of time. We got our tickets and grabbed some food while we waited for the 11:30 train to Barcelona. It’s a short 2h45m train ride to Barcelona and we spent the time looking at travel books and rehashing all the things we wanted to accomplish. The scenery was beautiful and the weather matched it. We reached Barcelona a little before 3:00pm and had an ordeal working a pay phone. We got a hold of the lady we were renting from and grabbed the metro.

When we reached the apartment, we waited for her to let us in. Another moment of confusion as to whether we should ring the buzzer or stand on the street. When we did manage to get in, we were welcomed with 115 steps. That’s right, we’re staying in a 7^th floor walk up. When we finally reached the apartment, we were happy to find a bright an airy apartment. We have a great terrace and I can see that this place was an excellent find, by yours truly. We got a good deal and the owner seemed really great, which is always a relief after booking on line. We unpacked and set out towards the beach. We walked along the boardwalk and stopped for tapas and sangria for a late lunch.  On the way home we grabbed some stuff for the apartment and headed back up the stairs of death.

Trying to stick on Spanish time, we headed out for dinner at 10:00pm and found a little place in the Placa Rejal. After more tapas and a walk down La Rambla, we made it home and had a bottle of wine on the terrace. I think we would fit well into this Spanish life.

I Have No Clue What Day It Is

To say the least, internet access is a little scarce on my end of the island. I have written the posts for the last week and a half, but can't manage to get MY laptop connected. Hopefully soon though. We are having a great time in Greece, and we had a great time in Spain. Hope Everyone is well!

Day 99: or The Day I Woke Up In Spain

I woke up on the train and prepared for my first day in Madrid. It was nice to get ready looking out the train window and watching the mountains When we stopped in the station, I started the trek to the airport to pick up Linden. After navigating an easy Metro combined with a not so easy airport terminal, I met Linden at the arrivals gate and we headed off into the city. We had a couple  of hours before we needed to meet Gabbie so we walked around the neighborhood near the hotel. It was a was a very warm day which Linden was used, but I still enjoy like it's something rare. we met Gabbie at the airport without incident and showed her through the city I felt I knew already.


The trip was truly beginning at this point.We had all arrived, all unpacked, and were ready for our first Spanish night. We had booked a wine and tapas tour and met the guide at Plaza de la Villa. We spent a little over 3 hours walking around the oldest part of Madrid, sampling his favorite wines and some particularly amazing food. The first stop had maybe the best olives I've ever eaten. The girls agreed, so I feel like I wasn't wrong, they were amazing. At the last stop we had maybe the best pork loin I've ever eaten. It looked like beef with a red center and was seared to perfection.  It was served with  truffle oil mashed potatoes and grilled strawberries. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. We were with a nice group of people and we all parted ways a little after 11:00pm. The girls and I stopped for gelato on the way back as we took the long way around. The city is still so busy late that you feel boring going to sleep. Also, because of Europe's odd time zone situation, Spain has a very late sunset. It is in the same time zone as Paris, but the sun sets at least an hour later. The girls were slightly jet lagged and we wanted to be ready to go tomorrow. We made it back to the hotel and planned more for the upcoming week.

Day 98: or The Day I Caught The Night Train

Friday, how I love thee, let me count the ways. Especially this Friday. I dropped the Kid off at school and headed home to finalize all that needed to be done. I packed almost everything last night but needed to run into town and grab some last minute things. The travel day stress was mostly replaced with excitement until the train police came and checked everyone’s tickets. I had a ticket of course, but had never seen the police. When I went to get it out of my bag, I couldn't find it. Uh-oh. I started to get frantic as they got closer. How was I going to explain inf broken French that I somehow lost the ticket somewhere between the gate and the train, a whole 50 ft. When he got there I showed him my return journey ticket and tried to explain. I also showed him a spare ticket I had and hoped he would just take it in place of the one I’d lost. They took the ticket, and wrote the date, told me not to stress, and left me alone. That was close. As I took a closer look at the ticket they had handed back to me, I noticed an indentation on the back. It was the “lost” ticket. The machine must have been out of ink, because it imprinted the validation, but with no ink. It was a mix of relief, and then frustration because had the police not been as nice, they would have fined me a boat load. It ended well, so I’m not complaining, but it could have been a bad start to my fabulous vacation.


I made it home and finished packing. I ran to get the Kid and then handed him off to his sister. Said goodbye and headed for the train. I made it to the station in Paris and boarded the night train to Madrid. After going to the wrong car I managed to find my correct berth. I was very glad to have been wrong however because the first car was boiling hot. I was pondering how to jimmy open the window because it was stifling. When I went to the right one, I was greeted with the cool breeze of A.C. Glorious. My bunkmate was a women from Hanover. I swear every German I meet is from Hanover. Very odd. It ended up only being the 2 of us, and I was glad for that because I’m not sure how you would fit 4 people in one of those compartments, even if it was family. Maybe without luggage, but who would take the night train without luggage? Passed on dinner due to the extraordinary prices and settled in for a ling night. I’m happy the sun is setting so late though because I’ll be able to see a bit of French countryside before bed. It’s amazing how soon out of Paris it becomes picturesque. Not that Paris isn’t picturesque, just different.  I handed the ticket checker my passport and became anxious about that whole ordeal. The train is 14 hours and I’m going to try and get to sleep early. Not having internet means reading which would normally be fine except I’ve finished my little stack already. I brought HP7 just in case. It’ll be my 4th time to read it but I always reread the books for the movies and the movie is only 3 months away. The German woman is getting off the train at 4am so I’m assuming she’ll be turning in early, which bodes well for me. Also it means I’ll have the room to myself in the morning. In a few short hours I’ll be with my first visitors from home. Not sure I’ll get much sleep tonight.

Day 97: or The Day It Felt Like The Friday Before Spring Break

Granted, it was Thursday, but the feeling was there none the less. I had class this morning and after it was over, a beautiful day awaited. It was the last thing to do before my two week break, so when I was leaving the school, I had that feeling you get when your a kid and it's Friday afternoon and you have the whole weekend ahead of you. I absolutely love that feeling.


I spent the afternoon outside in the sun and trying to make sure I knew everything I had to do before I leave. Packing light for a two week trip is a difficult thing, but I think I will be able to pull it off. After I got the Kid from school, he played outside and I made pizza. The mom had made the dough with organic flour and it didn't turn out so well. The dough I mean, the pizza was fine. I didn't realize organic vs. non-organic would change the dough so much but it  made it near impossible to roll it out. I made a huge mess of the kitchen and was thankful the cleaner is coming tomorrow.


When I was done working, I started the actual packing instead of planning packing. I feel like I've been waiting for this vacation since I arrived in France. I didn't know who was going to visit me, but I knew someone from home would be here and I'm very excited for out trip. Now let's just hope I don't forget anything.

Day 96: or The Day It Felt Like Summer

Seeing that I hang out around a lot of moms, I've gotten to know some of them. When ever there is nice weather, they always comment on how happy I must be. It's as if everyone knows how much I love the heat. Today was the warmest yet and everyone was talking about it. The third floor of the house was actually hot and I needed to open the windows. Everyone also comments on how it's never this warm and nice. Apparently, I picked the right year to live in France, because if this was mild, I can't handle real cold.


The kids all came home at different times, which meant each of them was in the kitchen getting snacks at different times. When this happens,  I usually end up in a conversation with them for varying lengths of time. The 13 year old boy is known to be very quiet. He gives one word answers and sometimes doesn't feel the need to respond verbally at all. But when it's just the two of us in the kitchen, he usually talks freely. The mom also told me he's quiet talkative outside the house, which is the opposite of most shy people I would think. At dinner the girls started in on him again for this and that and made a comment about the silence. He sat there not saying a word when I finally said "he talks plenty, but the way you two argue, I wouldn't say anything either". I wasn't sure how we'd take it, but he gave a nod of agreement. Apparently I know a thing or two about shy younger brothers.

Day 95: or The Day I Read Mouse Soup

For some reason, I couldn't fall asleep last night and ended up with a grand total of about 4 hours. I have a hard time getting up after a full 8, so today wasn't starting off so good. I had class in the morning and it was a good one. I managed to understand whatever was going on, even if I won't be able to apply to my day to day conversations. I was able to explain my upcoming trips and everyone seemed mildly jealous, which I appreciated. After class I came home to rest my eyes for a bit before I had to get the Kid for lunch.


After I dropped him back at school, I spent the afternoon finalizing accommodations for Spain. Hopefully everything is done now, barring any unforeseen complications. I read the Kid stories every night and the story lately has been "Mouse Soup". I remember this book from when I was little but hadn't seen it in years. I apparently do a voice while reading and after a couple of times, I heard the Kid copying me. It cracks me up every time, the other family members don't get it. It's an inside joke obviously, but I think they're just a hard audience to sell. The rest of the night was spent jumping on the trampoline and picking flowers. After a rough day like today, I need a vacation.

Day 94: or The Day I Explained Wal-Mart

Back to the grind. Today went by quickly and before I knew it, I was at school picking up the Kid. He got a new toy this weekend and was all he talked about on the walk home. I was just happy because he walked at a   normal pace. His usual pace is somewhere between snail and tortoise. I  can't tell you how many times on a walk I have to ask him to walk faster. He does it out of rebellion partly, but mostly it's because he looks at flowers and bugs and picks up every little thing he finds in the street. 

We get home and he went to play outside with the neighbor kids. After dinner, the 13 year old asked me some very serious questions. The family will be spending the next 2 weeks in California and he needed to know where he could find items such as Gushers and Fruit Roll-Ups. These kids have put American candy on some sort of pedestal. They rave about it. I've been thinking if there is anything I miss from home seeing as how I'll have visitors soon. But what I miss is crawfish boils and football parties. Anyone know how to ship a crawfish boil? Anyways, I had to explain Wal-Mart to the boy. It was a very serious, 10 minute conversation about candy. These kids crack me up.

I also snapped a few pictures of the garden, just for the hell of it.

Day 93: or The Day I Tried To Explain Politics

At dinner tonight, the girls and I were eating quiche and someone mentioned the Chinese. The 17 year old is going on a school trip for April break and that led to communism. Being the "wise" one at the table, the girls asked me about the left vs right, socialist vs communist issues. I did as best I could, but the 14 year old called me out by saying, "the way you explain it, the left is good". Oops. So I tried to explain things from a conservative point of you, just to even things out. The Dad sat down for a bit, but I'm not sure he was listening. I'm sure half of what I said was simplified beyond any meaning, but what else could I do.


The rest of the day was uneventful. Today was the last bad day of weather for the week, supposedly. Soon, I'll beginning packing at prepping for my trip, but for know, it's all still in my head. 5 more days, then Spain and Greece. It's going to be a long week.

Day 92: or The Day I Missed The Train

I had planned to go on a little country outing today but was thwarted by the lines at the ticket counter. The machines only take chip credit cards, which I of course don't have. Since I was already in the city, I decided to spend some time. It was a beautiful day with a high of 72'. Amazing. I started by going to Montmarte, to see the artists and street performers. I grabbed a crepe and walked around. I went through the Sacre Couer again, just because going through beautiful churches has a calming effect. When leaving I was harassed worse than I've ever been by the solicitors. The way they actually grab you is unnerving. I can walk out of any situation without feeling awkward about not giving money, but when I'm physically stopped, it puts me on edge. Instead of the usual, "pardon" or "no, merci", I end up saying a pretty strong "don't touch me". I even know how to say it in French, but it of course comes out English, which creates more unwanted attention. One small moment in an otherwise pleasant day.


When I was walking around, a man selling silhouettes made one of me before I could say no. It was cheap and he was friendly, so I bought it. It's hard to buy anything here without worrying about getting it home. First you have to carry it around Paris, then you have to get in on a plane home. I figured a small paper silhouette shouldn't be a problem.


I walked around a bit more, enjoying the sun. When it started to cool off, I stopped and saw a movie. The man at the window asked if I had a student I.D. card. I showed him my UT on with a picture taken in 2004. He accepted it for God knows what reason. I'm not sure many of you remember what I looked like 7 years ago. To say the least, I look different. But a discount is a discount. Thank you kind sir.


I made it home before sun down and made my self an omelet. I've decided to work on my omelet technique. As tasty as they already are, I'd like to perfect them. Just a small side goal I've set for myself. All in all, it was a good day spent in the sun.

Day 91: or The Day I Started "The Wire"

I love Fridays. If I need to catch up on a little sleep, I can. If I want to go into town, I have enough time. It's just nice to feel like I have a choice in the matter. This Friday I decided to spend time around the village and the house. I've been avoiding spending money, trying to save up for my big 2 week trip. The weather turned chilly again so walking just to walk wasn't really in the cards. Everybody came home early, just to leave again. Tonight was a babysitting night for me, which consists of nothing out of the ordinary. The only difference is that a night I might have spent at home anyways will definitely be spent at home. The Kid still goes to sleep at 8:00pm, so I'm free, I just can't leave him totally alone. I curled up with a glass of wine and started watching "The Wire". Anyone I've ever met who has watched the show proceeds to tell me about how it's the greatest show ever. And these people aren't using a hyperbole. They believe that it actually is the greatest. I thought it was about high time I saw what all the fuss was about.

Day 90: or The Day I Reached The Halfway Mark

I'm not sure exactly when I'm flying home, but the plan is the end of June. Since I arrived I've been counting up, and now I'm counting down. It seems like yesterday I got here, I can't believe I'm already on the other side.


Today was a day filled with planning and research. Seeing that I am in fact halfway through with my time here, I need to make sure I'm not wasting weekends laying in bed. I have 13 weekends left, 4 of which are already spoken for. I'll have a Eurail pass through May, so I need to make sure I take advantage. I realize that this is a lucky problem to have and I'm not complaining. But it is a stress inducing situation. At the same time, I'm very happy to be able to see so many people from home in the next month. I'm sure before I know it, it will be June and I'll be wondering where the time has gone.

Day 89: or The Day I Was Reminded Not To Complain

After a long Wednesday at home, I was ready to hole up in my room and take a break. But, I had already made plans to grab a drink after work with some of the other girls and so I made the preparations to be seen in public. There were just 3 of us and the bar was fairly empty for a change, which was nice. The other girls had had pretty awful days and when I compared them to mine, I felt like I'd won the lottery. Sometimes I need to vent and sometimes I'll have a hard day, but liking the family you live with seems to be a non-negotiable. I can't imagine not getting along with them. Sure, I need a break every once in a while, but I do actually enjoy them. Some of these girls have it rough, and I was reminded of that today.


The 16 year old's birthday was today and we made Mexican food. Obviously by we I mean me. I also decided to try refried beans. We don't have pinto beans, so I made it with red beans and they ended up purple somehow. They turned out quite good and definitely improved the burritos. We finished up with chocolate cupcakes and everyone seemed to enjoy it.