Comida En Espana

While the places we go may be varied, one thing always remains constant while my friends and I travel: eating. Lots of it. We go to markets, cafes, and restaurants in search of cheap eats that are true to the local cuisine traditions. Our visit to Barcelona was no exception to this habit; the food crawl continued. Having visited Spain before, I had tried a lot of Spanish food and didn't really care for it, but I really think my taste buds have evolved a lot over the past three years and I am definitely more willing to try and enjoy new foods now than I was then. I find that many people assume that the Spanish regularly dine on tacos, fajitas, and burritos. That's not true; I actually did not see one single Mexican restaurant while visiting Barcelona.
On our night out in Barcelona, the girls and I went to the Travel Bar Restaurant for tapas and sangria. Tapas are appetizers or snack-like foods that are usually ordered in bulk and split between parties to make a full meal. 

Calamares

Tortilla de Patatas - An omlette type of picky filled with potatoes and served cold

Assorted cheeses, olives, meats, etc.

Bread, tomatoes, olive oil, and paprika to serve the above cheeses, meats, etc. on

Patatas Bravas - Fried potatoes served with salsa bravas, a spicy tomato-like sauce

Paella

We ate our way through the tapas and the reviews were mixed. I liked everything except for the tortilla de patatas. Something about cold egg really skeeves me out and I just wasn't into it. Overall, I liked traditional tapas this time more than I did during my last visit to Spain, but they still aren't my favorite. 


In between sightseeing the next day, the girls and I took several breaks to try out different Spanish delights, such as churros and helado. Churros are similar to fried dough, fried in ring shapes and served with melted chocolate for dipping. I had loved them on my first visit to Spain and was looking forward to having them again. However, I was a bit disappointed as the chocolate for dipping that came with the churros was like a watered down cup of hot chocolate, unlike the thick, rich chocolate that I had tried them with before. Still craving something sweet after a churro let down, we sought out helado - the Spanish word for ice cream. Similar to Italian gelato, the treat is sweet and creamy, available in a variety of flavors. I got Dulce de Leche and it was absolutely to die for!

After some more sightseeing (yes, we do other things besides eat!), we stumbled upon this little gem:

The Mercat St. Josep La Boqueria, located right off of Las Ramblas, the most popular pedestrian area in Barcelona. Walking into the market was like finding a goldmine. If I lived in Barcelona, I would shop there everyday for fresh ingredients. There were rows upon rows of stalls selling produce, meats, dairy, sweets, breads, and various other products.

Still full from eating earlier in the day, we only tried some fruit, but the quality and freshness of it was amazing. Judging by the amount of people crowding the marketplace, I think it's safe to assume that the majority of them put that freshness into their cooking, giving Spanish food that certain something that you just don't find everywhere else. The food crawl in Barcelona was filled with new tastes, revisits to memorable dishes, and admittance that maybe I just don't really like Spanish food. But hey, at least I tried it right?

Love and comida,

Haley

A Mixed Review

Prior to visiting Barcelona, my friends and I had been given one piece of advice: look out for pickpockets. This warning came from travelers we'd met, our program advisors, other students, and even the taxi driver who had driven us to the Galway bus station. Apparently, Barcelona is notorious for the skillful pickpockets who have made petty theft their craft. There have even been students in my program that can attest to that statement, being victims of robbery themselves. So heading to Barcelona, I was a bit apprehensive. When we arrived, our hostel was not located in the best location. It was down a narrow street close to La Rambla, which is a major street in Barcelona that attracts both tourists and locals. It is also the street on which most pickpocketing occurs. The hostel itself was great. It was called Be Mar Barcelona and met our criteria of being clean and secure, providing us each with our own locker to keep our belongings in. The hostel also provided breakfast, computers, and helpful staff who were willing to give us maps, directions, and advice for our stay. However, walking to and from the hostel wasn't exactly a pleasant experience, as the sight of six American girls attracted lots of stares, whistles, and inappropriate comments from people we passed by. We made a point to stick together and not be out too late, as there was also prostitutes and who knows what else conducting business in the area. Lesson learned: thoroughly research the area of your hostel before booking a stay there! 

Our first day in Barcelona we actually spent outside the city on a beach in Sitges, which I posted a blog about earlier. After our day outside the city, we came back to our hostel and got ready for a night out on the town. We got tickets to an inclusive flamenco and tapas night put on by a local tourism company that would get us entry into a flamenco show and then take us to a restaurant for tapas and sangria. It's all about the cultural experience, right?! All dolled up, we headed to the meeting point and then to the show. Apparently we were not high on the priority list for the venue because even though we arrived early, our group was made to stand outside while other customers were let in before us. When we finally got in, there were no seats left so we had to stand for the duration of the performance. Luckily, the show only lasted about half an hour. Even though it was short, the performances were so good that by the end, we had all gotten over being shafted from the seats and ended up really enjoying ourselves. From the flamenco show, we headed to the Traveler Bar Restaurant where the six of us plus another few people from the show were given sangria followed by assorted tapas. The food and drink kept coming for over an hour before we were cut off and told we would have to pay for anything extra. We then decided it was time to leave the restaurant and join up with a pub crawl that was happening close by. We went to two different bars where we met lots of other travelers and heard about their stories and walks of life. I think that's one of the best parts of traveling, the people you meet. Everyone tends to be very friendly and keen on swapping stories or advice. We decided to call it a night around 1:30AM, tired from a day at the beach and knowing we had lots of sightseeing to do in the morning. 

Trying to give Barcelona the benefit of the doubt, we went on a walking tour of the city that focused on the Gaudi architecture that the city is famous for. Gaudi created buildings for living, business, and prayer, as well as fixtures, flooring, and other pieces that were works of art within themselves. His architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen and is clearly the product of dedicated effort and thorough attention to detail. It is so unique, I learned, that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Sight. We began the tour in the Plaça Reial, a plaza by La Rambla that displays lighting fixtures made by Gaudi himself.

From there, we walked to Palau Güell, a mansion that had been built by Gaudi for a Spanish industrial tycoon. It was closed to the public due to renovations so we weren't able to go inside but the outside was enough. The intricate detailing of the ironing was beautiful and the front gates featured a phoenix that inspired JK Rowling when she was writing the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series. 

Next we took the metro to Passeig de Gràcia, a street lined with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Chanel that reminded me of Champs de Elysses in Paris. There we saw Casa Batlló and Casa Milà, two residential buildings that had been designed by Gaudi in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Each building is uniquely designed, however, it is easy to tell that the design is distinctly Gaudi. The two buildings are located along Illa de la Discòrdia, the "block of discord" famous in Barcelona for having constructions made by Spain's most well-known modernist architects. Even the pavement on the street was designed by Gaudi, with intricate designs engraved into cement tiles that were then strategically lain into the sidewalks.

 

The last stop of our tour brought us to Gaudi's most famous piece of architecture, the Sagrada Familia. It is the church that looks like melting candles, consecrated by the Pope in 2010 and named a UNESCO World Heritage Sight on its own. I thought the best part about the church was that it is a piece of living history, continuously being built up and added on to in an effort to complete Gaudi's vision for the church, as he died before ever getting to complete it.

Our tour ended at the Sagrada Familia, leaving us the rest of the day to see what else Barcelona had in store for us. We took the metro back to La Rambla and walked down to its end where we could see the famous Christopher Columbus Monument, with Columbus pointing his finger in the direction of America. The monument is situated on a rotary between the end of La Rambla and Port Olímpic, a port that had been constructed for use in the 1992 Summer Olympics and has since been a scenic landmark. The port was beautiful, with hundreds of boats in its harbor, a large walking bridge, and a pier containing many shops and restaurants. It was a beautiful day so the port was crowded with tourists and vendors, but it was still a nice walk over the bridge and around the pier.

After visiting the port, we walked back to La Rambla for some lunch and souvenir shopping. We had pizza and traditional churros then walked further up to where most of the shops were located. The main pedestrian walk in the center of the street was filled with street vendors selling art and other trinkets. Along La Rambla, we stumbled upon La Mercat Josep, an open-air market that was filled with endless rows of stalls selling all types of food: fresh produce, dairy, meat, eggs, fish...you name it, they had it. I loved the market, it was ideal for trying new foods at a low cost and getting in some good people watching. We wandered around the confines of the market for a while, overwhelmed by the color, variety, and upbeat nature of the environment. 

Soon, tired and shopped out, we headed back to our hostel to shower, grab dinner, and head to bed early so we'd be ready for our 3AM wake-up to go to the airport and catch our flight to Rome. Overall, I am disappointed to say that Barcelona really didn't meet my expectations. I had heard such wonderful things about the city, but I found it to be overrated. Maybe I was seeing the wrong things or visiting the wrong areas and missing out on what is so great about it. I think the best part of my experience was realizing that I have retained some of my 5 years worth of Spanish classes, as I was able to hold slow but full conversations with native speakers. While I don't think I will be going back anytime soon, I am glad that I had the opportunity to visit in the first place. 

Love and on to the next place,

Haley

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems

The first destination of the second round of Eurotrip '11 was Barcelona. There were six of us traveling: the original four from the first round, Caitrin, Katie, Lindsey, and myself, and then two friends we met in Galway, Molly and Carly. All six of us flew from Dublin to Barcelona and arrived there late last Monday night and took a taxi from the airport to our hostel to ensure a safe arrival rather than aimlessly wandering around a foreign city at night. Instead of exploring the city the next day, we decided to take advantage of the promising forecast and travel to Sitges, a beachside town about a half hour train ride outside of Barcelona. One of Molly's friends had recommended that we make the trip outside of the city because the beaches there would be a lot more safe, clean, and enjoyable. I am so thankful that we decided to go to Sitges because it was definitely the best part of the Spain portion of our trip. The town itself was small, quiet, and not overly touristy, which is always a good thing. We followed our noses to the beach and I was really surprised at how beautiful it was. As most of you probably know, I'm a complete beach bum and could sit in the sand for hours soaking up the sun, so I was really excited to be getting in a good beach day while traveling. The beach we visited was called Les Botigues, and although we were thousands of miles away in Spain, I couldn't help feeling like I was in Fort Lauderdale. The water was a bright blue and extremely clear, with temperatures that were warmer than I ever experience at home during the middle of the summer. The sand was really clean, with cabanas and beach chair rentals sprawled up and down the boardwalk. We found a spot, laid out our towels, and sat in the hot Mediterranean sun sipping sangria for hours. A few of us even took a dip or two when the sun got to be too much. 

As it got later in the day, more and more people came to enjoy the weather and suddenly we realized...we were at a topless beach. Dozens of women were sunning themselves, bearing the girls for all the world to see. It seemed to be a normal activity for them, while us "conservative" Americans were just about horrified. But such is life, I guess. At least I'll be prepared for the sights on my next trip to a European beach! After a few hours of swimming and tanning, we decided it was time to go as spending months in Ireland makes your skin quite sensitive to the sun once it is finally exposed to it again. I didn't burn but I did get some nice color and a few tan lines. A couple of the other girls weren't so lucky and ended up having burnt backs, legs, and chests which soon sent us in search of a "farmacia" to find aloe. We stopped to have a light lunch at a cabana on the beach before catching the next train into the city. Even though I had the rest of my trip to look forward to, I really wanted to stay in Sitges; who would want to leave the calm and quite of a little beach town for the hustle and bustle of a major European city? But as they say, the show goes on and there was lots more to see, do, and experience in the next week or so.


Love and beach bums,
Haley

Vacation's Over

...Kind of. I have just over a week left in Galway before it's back to reality on the other side of the pond. I just returned a few hours ago from 10 days of travel, adventure, and sunshine. The return trip from Venice to Dublin by plane and then from Dublin to Galway by car took a little longer than anticipated due to flight delays and traffic jams so I am officially exhausted and in need of another vacation immediately! Hey, a girl can dream right? I guess relaxing in Menlo Park Apartments will have to do. I'll be updating within the next couple of days about Eurotrip '11 Round 2, so stay tuned.


Love and wishing vacations never ended,
Haley

Here I Go Again

I am now officially done with the semester and with less than three weeks until I return home, I am taking further advantage of my time abroad and seeing more of Europe. This time, I am adventuring to Barcelona, Rome, Florence, and Venice. Why those places? Well, although I have visited much of Spain before, Barcelona is a city that I never made it to and have heard wonderful things about. How could anyone refuse tapas, sangria, and the beach?! About Italy, I've never been to the country and it's somewhere I always wanted to go, so I figured visiting three of its most well-known cities would give me a good idea of what the region is all about. I am traveling to Barcelona with five other friends and then four of us will press on to Italy while the other two are headed to London. This is leg two of Eurotrip '11 and with lots more places to see, things to do, cuisines to try, pictures to be taken, and memories to be made, I am sure it will be just as amazing as the first trip. I've just finished some last minute packing and am about to head out the door to catch the bus to Dublin Airport. Our flight departs at 5:15PM and we will not be returning to Dublin until the afternoon of May 18th. In between, I will be flying to Rome then taking a train from Rome to Florence and Florence to Venice. Again, I will not be bringing my laptop on my travels so please excuse my absence and I will be back in no time to write all about the trip. Until then, adios! Ciao! 

Love and taking on some more of the world,

Haley

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day today to all the mother's out there, especially the best one, my mom. I can't thank you enough for everything you do, your continuous support, and your careful advice for Courtney, Lindsey, and I. You're the best person, friend, and mother I know. I love and miss you. See you so soon!

Love and lucky enough to have a great mom (and grandmother and godmothers!),
Haley

The Beginning of the End

Although the title of this blog post is a bit dramatic, I really couldn't think of one that would be more suitable. As of yesterday, I am done with my semester abroad in terms of academics...officially making me a senior in college. Yikes. I really wish someone could tell me where the last four years have went because I certainly have no idea! As the semester wraps up for everyone at NUIG, people are slowly beginning to leave on both travels and return flights back home. I've said goodbye to two roommates, a few teammates, and many friends over the past week, constantly reminding me that my days here are numbered. My feelings about leaving are mixed; I can't wait to come home to family and friends but I will greatly miss life here in Galway as well. In my last three weeks I will be going on my last travel adventures and then spending time doing things locally that are "must-do's" while abroad. These things include jumping off a pier into Galway Bay, riding a mechanical bull at Coyote's nightclub, attending a traditional song and dance night on Salthill Promenade, and pub/food crawling throughout the city center. The next few weeks are sure to be legendary and mask the impending doom that is my packing situation; I may have come with only one large suitcase and a carry-on but I will certainly be returning home with at least another checked bag. While I knew May 28th would eventually be rounding the corner, it is only this week that I realized how close it actually is as rooms are being cleaned out, suitcases are being lugged down stairs, and hugs, numbers, and tears are being exchanged. Here's to making the next three weeks count to the fullest.


Love and feeling bittersweet,
Haley