Backpackers Lesson #2: You won't meet the Queen. Avoid Authors.

At the British Museum. Along with
the Rosetta Stone, but this is more
interesting to look at. For sure.

For part of my spring break I took a trip with my roommate, Jeff, to London for a few days. It was my first trip outside of Spain, and the first excursion that I planned mostly on my own. It started out with a bit of a fiasco at airport security. To fly cheaply, you can't check a bag, and the liquid requirement completely slipped my mind. I lost my shampoo, body wash, and shaving cream. But things can be replaced, I was there for an experience, not a shower. (Although, of course, I showered every day.)

After checking into an awesome hostel with a pub downstairs (even if it didn't have a whole lot of showers...), Jeff and I hit up the touristy spots. Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, some fish and chips, and DR. PEPPER!!!

The Family Tour Guide

After our weekend in Barcelona, it was time to bring the family to Madrid and show them the place that I've called home for the past 3 months. I had no school on Monday (for some religious holiday that isn't really celebrated in the States) so I got them moved into their apartment and then took them to the Plaza de Santa Ana to find some lunch. We then went on a quick tour of central Madrid--Puerta del Sol (the center of Madrid...and Spain for that matter), the opera house, then Plaza Mayor and the Mercado de San Miguel. We grabbed some groceries and dropped them off before making a reservation for a Flamenco show that night. With Spanish guitars, a few singers, and some VERY talented dancers, flamenco is a type of dance that almost seems to mimic the motions of

Barcelona Reunions

Oh, Barcelona. We meet again, my old friend. Last Friday (the beginning of Arkansas's spring break, just for clarification), I took a little trip to Barcelona. I've been to Barcelona before, but that was three years ago, way back in my junior year of high school; needless to say, I was excited to get back to what was for many years my favorite place in Spain.

Not only did I reunite with the incredibly cool, youthful city, but I got to meet up with a few of my favorite people--mi madre and a couple of my aunts. After a 3-hour, high-speed train ride, I arrived in Barcelona--alone. Took a taxi to what I thought was my family's hotel; of course, that was before I knew that there were two Hotel Constanzas in Barcelona. Luckily, Google Maps had

Backpacker's Lesson #1: Always charge your camera...

...and then put it away. (More on that in a bit.)

I spent this weekend in Granada with a few newly-found friends. Friday night was an adventure in itself--a five hour bus ride, figuring out what bus got us closest to our hostel, and then trying to FIND our hostel in the maze of narrow, twisted streets. I was certainly thankful when we walked in the door. I was ready to throw my stuff down and find some GRUB!!! I grabbed some leftover paella from the hostel's kitchen after someone offered it to me. We left the hostel in search of some (more) good food. We wound up getting some tortilla (a potato omelette) and ratatouille, with our bottle of wine--thank goodness for tapas! I ate well, to say the least.

Speaking of the hostel (Oasis Hostel), it was so much nicer than I had expected. The lobby was nice with a seating area so you could sit and talk with other travelers. The kitchen was very clean, with nice dishes, and a free breakfast--you cooked it yourself, but still, it was good. Our room held six people, so the five of us were sharing with

A Standing Ovation?

Yes. It's true. When I finished singing "Grenade" by Bruno Mars, I had an entire room on its feet. Granted, most of the people in the room were pretty drunk, but I think that makes it even more impressive. Drunks are a tough crowd to please.

Oh, you want an explanation? I guess that makes sense. This past Saturday, I was out on the town at a club called Kapital--seven floors of music, dancing, and (apparently) karaoke. I've sung a few Disney songs around my friends, just joking around, so they wanted me to hit up the karaoke. And I did. Twice. It probably helped that I'd had a couple drinks before I got up there, but I don't think it mattered too much. There were multiple times that everyone cheered me on, so I was quite happy with my performance. So happy, in fact, that I gave an encore about thirty minutes later of "Chasing Pavements." That's right, I took on Adele. And in the minds of the people on the second floor of Kapital, I wasn't too shabby. I'm putting it in the "Win" category of Study Abroad experiences.

Here's a couple more random things to keep you interested!

A while back, I met up with some friends to go to the Museo de Prado, an incredible art museum, with works from all over Europe, painted by some of the most famous classic painters--Velazquez, Rafael, Goya, El Greco to name a few. After 2 hours, I had only covered one floor! So we left, and when we walked outside, we found THRONGS (please note the R. It's there.) of people! We discovered that all these people--literally thousands--were protesting the austerity measures of the new Spanish government, after a recent change in power. Basically, public workers' wages are frozen, meaning no raises for now, and the government wants to take away paid sick and vacation days for public school teachers. I can understand why people are upset. 

Hungry, we made our way through the crowd to get some 100 Montaditos (check out the "Chowing Down" tab for more info) before meeting up with one of the girl's Spanish roommate. We went to this really small bar, with some very fruity sangria--the fruit was still in it, and was delicious--and a great vibe. I wound up getting to use my Spanish a lot, having a conversation about the World Cup, which got a little heated, meaning they spoke RIDICULOUSLY fast. But I still understood it! It was exciting.

Now, another "sexy food story," as my friend back home calls it. TAPAS! The Spanish way. There's a neighborhood known for its tapas--La Latina--and it has a street known for the best of the best--Calle Cava Baja. Basically, you just walk down it until you find a tapas bar you'd like to give a go. The name of the one pictured here escapes me, but it was really good. I had a cangrejo (a crab salad) and something similar to taquitos or mini enchiladas, each served on a piece of bread. That's really where tapas came from in the first place--pieces of bread to cover (aka tapear) your drink. And it just evolved from there. There's all kinds of choices, with tons of variety. I've got to find me a few more good tapas bars soon!

As a final note, to those of you that enjoy reading my posts (and I guess even if you don't...), feel free to comment and ask questions! Also, I'm most certainly open to suggestions of things to write, so don't hesitate to let me know what you'd like me to write about!

Not Everything's Peachy...

I feel like I have deceived you somewhat. This trip really is the most incredible experience of my life, and overall I'm having an amazing time, but not everything has been perfect. I guess that's impossible, honestly. There have been times where it's been really difficult for me to keep it together. So I'll fill you in on the times where Spain hasn't been everything I hoped it would.

1.) Getting internet. I think this has been the most frustrating thing I've had to deal with. I've mentioned it before, but now you get the whole story!

The Creep with Weed in his Pocket...And More

I was so excited when I thought up this post. Mainly because the experience was hilarious. (Disclaimer: I am not the guy with weed in his pocket.)

     Several nights ago, (I think it was last Saturday) some friends and I went out for drinks. We met in Puerta del Sol and had to wait on another guy to show up because he was bringing a friend. When he showed up, his friend was in his late 30s. Awkward. But you know, we gave him a chance. He was a Spaniard, so maybe it's normal for them to go out on the town with people half their age? (It's not.) The bar was nice, and really full, but we all had a good time talking in our little segmented groups. Until creepy old guy showed up again. He basically started talking to me from across the room, so I had to lean across a bunch of other people just to hear what he was saying.

     He kept talking about how we were such good friends--keep in mind that by this point I hadn't even spoken to him, other than telling him my name--and so I smiled goodnaturedly. So here we are, leaning back and forth as he stops and starts the conversation, when he leans in one last time...