Barcelona

Our first stop was in Tarragona. Nice group pick below and the cathedral there.



Gaudi's masterpieces. His park was were they had the finale for America's Next Top Model. We're posing below on the runway!



La Pedrera. It was a beautiful day and we got a nice little nap on the roof.



Above: La Sagrada Familia is one of Europe's most famous cathedrals.

Barcelona. Linds and I ate this entire pan of Paella. oops.

Art Museum in Barcelona



Above: Codorniu is a winery outside f Barcelona.

This weekend we went on an excursion to Barcelona. We first stopped in a city called Tarragona, which had many Roman Ruins. We met our guide, Enrique, here and he took us on a tour. Later, we went to the museum. I think that we all fell asleep in the 15 minute video at the museum. Later, we continued on our way to downtown Barcelona. Although we didn’t arrive there until night, the sights were amazing with all the lights etc.

Sunday we went downtown to get a tour of the Art Museum (which was actually quite interesting). We then were taken to the major tourist center, Las Ramblas and Plaza de Catalunya. Las Ramblas is mainly just a really busy street where robbers like to hang out and many tourist attractions. On one end is Plaza de Catalunya and the other end is a statue of Christopher Colon and the Port. Also, we saw the gothic Cathedral de Santa Maria. After our tour, Lindsay and I were quite tired and hungry, so we went to a restaurant to eat some Paella and drink some wine. We met up with the group at 7:45pm to head back to the seminary. Linds and I had a dance party in our room and called it a night!

Monday was a great day, filled with tours of Gaudi’s masterpieces. We went to La Pedrera (Casa Mila), La Sagrada Familia, and Parque de Guell. In the park, we ate lunch and alter had freetime for the entire afternoon. Some of the gals and I went downtown shopping. Later, we met up with the others to head back to the seminary to eat dinner and get ready for a night of dancing. And…boy did we dance!! Because it was a Monday night, the only people in the discotec were 4 gals from Denmark, a group of Asians, and our group of 20 students. We had a blast and didn’t get home until about 3:30am.

Tuesday we were, of course, all quite tired and so on the bus we all slept. We had 2 stops. The first was at a Winery called Codorniu and the second at Peniscola. We arrived back home at 7:30pm. I was really excited to not be traveling. When I got home, I was greeted by Maite who had prepared some dinner for me and made me a plate (she’s quite the artist).

Here are a few picks, but all are on my shutterfly.

homesick

I just got done with my 2 exams! I think that I did ok; the first one took me 15 minutes. I feel so relieved. At the same time I think that I am starting to realize that Denia is going to be my home for the next 4 months. Everything is becoming very familiar (especially because it is such a small town): the people, my routine, my room...

Looking at pictures of family and friends usually doesn't make it better...I miss that which is familiar in the States, and that is starting to fade (not the people of course, but my G.R. familiar life--if that makes any sense.)

On the other hand, I am still loving it here. Maite and I went to lunch today at Pollo Loco (where I am right now). She's so great. I am starting to hang out with different girls (still Lindsay, but adding to my "bubble" as well), and am very excited about that! Actually, I purchased a ticket yesterday with a group of these girls...$36 roundtrip to...DENMARK!! haha. random. So, all in all, life is really great; the sun is always shining and for the most part, the group as a whole could not be better, as well as my living situation! Thanks for the prayers!

JAVEA (actually 22 enero 2008)

Cathedral in Javea

Some guys on the trip- quite ghostly, no? Susanna is Prof. Ten Huisen's youngest daughter (2 years old)

On our way to the top of the Cathedral to get a panorama view of Javea

"Temptacions" is the restaurant we ate at after our tour.

22 enero 2008

Javea. This is a city not more than 15 minutes away on bus from Denia, just over Mt. Mongo. We got to Javea at about 4:30pm and slowly worked our way to a gothic cathedral. We waited for about 30 minutes for a policeman to find his keys in order to get a quick tour of the town hall, got a tour of the cathedral as well (along with the rooftop view), went to the Javea Museum, and went to Temptacions for merienda (the lupper between lunch and supper). Most of us thought that we would be eating in a gymnasium or what not, but this restaurant was beautiful. We ate a little bocadilla and had a glass of wine. It was quite hospitable of the Javeans. We had a nice time, but I think most of us were preoccupied with thoughts on their homework for today along with 2 tests and a paper due Friday. Agh!!! Just a few more days until Barcelona! (more pics to come from there.)

In the background, you see Denia's castle...close to my house.
It was sooo steep!!
Lindsay and me
Denia from 700+ m in Altitud
We ate our bocadillo (sandwich) and some fruit for lunch.

the simple life.

Today was a perfect day. My friend, Lindsay, and I climbed Denia's Mt. Montgo. It was a bit scary due to the slippery rocks, a skinny path, and a steep incline on unstable pebbles, but it was totally worth it. The scenery was incredible.

The past few days I have been starting to find my routine. I wake up at 7am, make myself a cup of coffee, get ready for school, go to school at 9:30am until 1pm, go home to eat lunch with Maite, my "mama", we sit and watch TV (which I can't understand) and take naps. I wake up still full, go for a run at 3:30pm with Linds, play volleyball or soccer with other students, come home, shower and do homework. I have definately felt a change in lifestyle, something I thought would be hard for me, yet one I am actually learning to embrace. That is "having time".

Time is a lifestyle change that I am getting used to. It takes time, 15 minutes to be exact, for me to get to school (and that much to return). It takes time to actually sit and do my homework. It takes time to sit and eat lunch, and time to enjoy a long siesta afterwards. I enjoy this time: unscheduled, yet organized, not busy, hectic or demanding, but rather active and somewhat uneventful. I have grown to cherish time in front of a television I don’t understand and a mama who talks too fast. I am trying my darndest to put together her words and phrases in order to formulate sentences that actually make sense to me. I have learned that this takes time. I have learned that picking up after yourself is an extremely time-consuming task as well, yet, a necessary one (especially living in such small quarters). If I forget to shut the door while leaving the bathroom, or put my cup in the sink versus the dishwasher, or if I place my bag on my bed before I go down to sleep, there is a certain disorder that does not feel right. I should have listened to my mom when she was trying to teach me to be neat--oops...I'm learning though!