Anywho, I know that it has been a while since I have posted and I am sure you are all anxiously sitting in front of your computers, constantly refreshing your screens in anticipation of my next blog post...so here goes.
I have to try to remember the dates of when things occurred....the days have just been all mixed up in my mind.
Connor and I went to Granada on Monday (Dec. 27th). I was so excited to show him around the town where I spent 6 months living previously. We were very lucky and my co-worker (Catherine) and her boyfriend live in Granada but they went home to the US for the holidays and so she left me the keys to her apartment so that Connor and I could stay there instead of getting a hostel/hotel in Granada. It was so nice of them. We first paid a visit to the Cathedral. I think Connor was very impressed.
Then we hiked up to the "mirador de san nicolas" which is a lookout point with amazing views. it's all uphill to get there but it's worth the effort.
Here is a view of the Alhambra (which we unfortunately didn't get to visit) and the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains...oh, and us too!! :-)
After, we had tapas at one of the very first places where I had tapas with some friends after we had all moved into our homestays. We definitely deserved it after our climb to the lookout point. The place is called "La Bella y la Bestia." For all those blog readers out there who don't speak Spanish...that's "Beauty and the Beast." It's a fitting place for Connor and I to go because (without getting too mushy), Connor calls me "Belle" like the princess from Beauty and the Beast...here's where you all sigh and say "awwwwwwwwwww."
Connor also had the pleasure of meeting my host family - Paco and Pilar. I was so happy that we were able to stop by their house and visit them. Two of their grandchildren were there (Julia and Pablo). It was so adorable when Pablo first saw Connor because he ended up hiding by Connor's leg like he was his dad or something.
After this picture, though...Connor didn't have so much luck with Pablo (he wouldn't even look at him! haha) Here is a picture of Pilar with her adorable grandchildren.
Oh, I almost forgot. Before our visit to see Paco and Pilar, Connor had the pleasure of having his first "cola cao." Now, it is part of daily life in Spain to have a coffee around 5pm whether it be in your house or if you go out and meet a friend at a cafe. There is one problem, however. Connor doesn't like coffee. What is the solution? Spanish version of hot chocolate or "cola cao." I think he liked it :-)
Later that night (sheesh, we did a lot that day), Connor and I met up with some of my friends in Granada for a drink.
Connor and Abelardo
The next day, I made sure Connor had his first "chocolate con churros" experience. We only asked for one order even though we were two people eating them (that's my way of justifying us eating churros!)
We met up with my friend Juan Carlos later to have tapas but I forgot to get a picture. We went to a great tapas place by the plaza de toros and there Connor experienced his first paella! It had chicken and some shrimp but he swiftly avoided the shrimp (as did I).
After a relatively busy time in Granada, it was off to Barcelona on the 29th!
First thing on the agenda for Connor???? FC Barcelona stadium!!
We paid to go inside and see the museum and also the stadium. It was so cool and there are so many photos that I could put on here but I do want to finish writing this blog post before I start sprouting gray hairs!!
My roommate Tad and his girlfriend Rachel were also in Barcelona at the same time and so we met up that afternoon and went to Parc Guell (one of my favorite spots in Barcelona). We took sandwiches up there and planned to picnic but the weather was pretty crummy. We sat and ate with a constant drizzle. We walked around the park for a while and took in the views.
Connor and I sitting on the famous Gaudi benches in Parc Guell
Here I am by the famous lizard at the entrance of the park. We had to literally fight to get by it to take a picture. There are soooooo many tourists around (and I say that like I am not a tourist haha).
Later that night, we went to Sagrada Familia (Gaudi's still unfinished masterpiece). We did not go inside but Tad and Rachel had earlier in the day. I guess it's another reason for me to go back to Barcelona one day (in three visits there I have still not been inside).
We made it back to the center of the city and walked down Las Ramblas - the famous street in Barcelona with street performers and crazy people like this guy that dress up and get people to give them money by doing silly things or taking pictures with people. It's a fun place and our hotel was right on a side street off Las Ramblas.
I am trying to make this a cohesive blog post but we did so many things and on so many different days that everything is a big blur and I apologize for any confusion this blog post may cause to the readers :-)
So, now I think we are to New Year's Eve day. The first item on the agenda was to get Connor a scarf. After having been in Spain for almost a week, he caught on that a LOT of Spanish men wear scarves and he wanted to join the club. We paid a visit to H&M and had some retail therapy and here's the result.
Handsome Connor
Complete with new scarf and for me a new jacket, we were ready to face the day. We met up with Rachel and Tad to go to the Olympic Park. I had never visited it before and it was giant! When you enter from where we did, it seems like nothing special but there was a lot more to discover when you walk around to the side of the complex. It is so insane that they build these huge complexes for the Olympics and then they sit empty.
Inside the stadium
The view from the side - so beautiful.
After our Olympic park visit, we went to see the arc de triomf (modeled after the one in Paris).
We also passed by the National Museum of Art of Cataluyna and it is so beautiful.
We also managed to snap a pic of the four of us.
Now, onto one of my favorite parts of the trip. It's pretty pathetic but when you have been away from American food for three months and all of a sudden you find of of these.....
It is your obligation to stop and have a sandwich. Oh pure BLISS!!
After an amazing meal at Subway, it was time to prepare for NYE in Barcelona! Here are Connor and I waiting in the hotel for Tad and Rachel to arrive.
Now, the tradition in Spain is to eat 12 grapes at midnight. If you want to learn more, see this link
Anyways, Tad and Rachel bought grapes for the group and we took them out to Placa Cataluyna (where we thought it was going to be like Times Square with a big screen or something but that ended up being far from the truth) and waited for Midnight.
We were highly disappointed that this
was our only way of knowing when the clock was going to strike midnight and we had to take clues from other people of when to start eating our grapes. Obviously there are no photos of this spectacle because we were all too busy shoving our faces with grapes (and they had seeds too....so gross). NYE in Barcelona ended up being a bit anticlimactic but it was still awesome to be in such a cool place and with good friends. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
On New Year's Day, we paid a visit to both of the houses that Gaudi designed -
Casa Batilo
La Pedrera.
After, we went down to the water to see the port and to stick our feet in the freezing cold water (which, all along I thought was the Mediterranean but I have just done some geographical research and see that indeed we were sticking our feet in the Balearic Sea and not the Mediterranean....oops).
We had lunch at an Italian restaurant (delicious food) and we could look out on the water.
Here is the statue of Christopher Columbus
Another one of Gaudi's creations that is near the water....it's a statue with 7 faces but I have not been able to find all of them....so I don't believe it!
And what's life if you don't enjoy some Ben and Jerry's? Although I was very angry because I got Cookie Dough ice cream and I'll be darned if there was not a single piece of cookie dough in my dish!!
We caught a flight back to Granada the night of the 1st and I will spare you all the details of the rest of the trip because it involves a lot of traveling and not too much time for enjoying the end of the trip. Needless to say, I think Connor had to endure more then 48 straight hours of traveling to make it back to Michigan and then had to go to work. He is a trooper. I really appreciate him taking the time to come and see me and to let me show him Spain!
I have this whole week off to and do not go back to work until Monday the 10th. I have been pretty bored and can't wait to get back to some kind of routine (even if it is just working 3 hours per day).
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