He Volviendo (I'm Back!!)

Whew! It has been a very busy week and I am sorry for not being able to update until now! Last weekend, Nick, Dom and I headed to Rome to meet Tyler and Meg after hanging out with them in Valencia for a few days. The trip started off a little bumpy, mainly because our hostel we booked turned out to be quite the dump. This is where we learned, you get what you pay for. It was Hotel Pop Inn, and let me tell you. It was anything but poppin. Fortunately, we were given a private three bedroom room, to avoid creepy foreigners staring at you in your sleep. Unfortunately, we had to share a very small, disgusting bathroom with about 10 other people. Not to mention, the place didn't have air conditioning. I don't know if you have been to Rome in the summer, but it is hot! Very hot! Needless to say, we probably wouldn't have been able to go to sleep at night if it wasn't for the endless amount of wine at dinner. In Rome, we did all of your typical tourist things, and then some. We had some wine at the Trevi Fountain, visited the outside of St. Peter's Basilica, went to the Pantheon, sat on the Spanish Steps, etc. It was a beautiful city, but definitely a busy one. My favorite part of Rome was obviously, the food. Dominique was lucky enough to celebrate her 21st birthday here, and we went to a delicious restaurant called Spaghetteria and I had some of the best pasta I have ever had in my life (Clam linguini). We also ate at the infamous, Osteria del Gallo & Osteria 40, two of Mr. DiPasqua's favorite spots. It was a great trip, and very fun to be there with Meg and Tyler.

Next came Madrid, where we were meeting the rest of our program for an all inclusive trip for the week. We stayed at a place called Hotel Regina, and let me tell you. This place was the Ritz compared to Pop Inn. Considering none of us had been brave enough to step foot in the showers in Rome, we were way over due and spent our first night having super hot showers and relaxing in bed. The next morning, the program chartered buses and took us to a few monuments. The first was the Valley of the Fallen, or should I just say heaven. This was the most beautiful place I have ever been to in my life. It was a huge church built on top of a mountain and on both sides are the buried soldiers killed in combat. We were given a tour of the church (which was breathtaking) and then some free time to explore. If I could have had it my way, I would have stayed there forever. It was just absolutely gorgeous. Next we went to Segovia, a small town a few hours outside of Madrid. This is the town known for the Suckling Pig (Mario Batali and Gwyneth Paltrow came here on their show On the Road Again)! It was a really cool city with some gorgeous monuments and such. We were given a tour of the Royal Palace and even got to eat some suckling pig of our own.

Once returning to Madrid, the partying began. Madrid is a very big city (I would compare it to Chicago or New York) with lots of great nightlife. Lucky for us, the big champions game was going on in Rome on Wednesday, Barcelona vs. Manchester United. We started off the night at a flamenco show and dinner provided by FSU. We were given a three course meal consisting of grilled vegetables, chicken and potatoes, and chocolate cake. Not to mention, open bar! The flamenco show was amazing and not like anything I have ever seen before. Almost like a combination of salsa dancing and step. It was so cool to experience such a cool tradition and definitely something I want to see again. So after too much wine and sangria, we all made the trek to a bar that FSU had arranged for us to watch the game and have super drink specials (2 for 1's all night). We were able to watch Barcelona take the championship, 2-0, and celebrate along the way. But the night wasn't over yet. After this bar, we all decided to head to the discotecca around 2 to dance the night away. The place was the size of a mansion and just gorgeous. Although drinks were averaging around 9 Euro a glass, we all managed to have an amazing night. Our program directors even came out with us (Ignacio and Alicia) and I was lucky enough to have a shot with them that was literally, on fire! Two firsts for me...drinking with my teachers and a shot on fire.

A very rough morning after such a long eventful night, but we were up at 9 o clock to check out of the hotel. We were headed back to Valencia, but stopping in Toledo along the way. Toledo is known for their gold and sword making, and is a fascinating little town. It is high up in the mountains and is surrounded on three sides by a river and huge wall (this was to protect them from battle during the war). In order to even get to the city, we had to park our bus and take about six escalators up. It was such a cool place with some amazing views of the mountains. So after a few tours of the town, churches, and parks we made the trek back to Valencia.

Now I am home, sweet home and happy to be here. I never really thought that I would be calling this place home, but it is so nice to have a home base after doing so much traveling. Instead of taking a trip this weekend, we have all decided to take it easy and stay in Valencia. Today we are playing a little bit of futbol (our program director rented out the nice fields across the street) and then headed to the beach for some rest and relaxation, and maybe some beach volleyball. Hope all is well back home. I am missing every one of you guys more and more each day. Keep up with the emails and updates, I love it. Ciao!

Mallorca, Spain

What we woke up to every morning

Watching the sunset

Wow is all I can say about the beautiful island of Mallorca, Spain. Going to a paradise island with beautiful beaches and weather has always been something I've wanted to do, and this honestly fulfilled me for life (although I am definitely going back). We began our journey by ferry, leaving late at night, and not arriving in Palma de Mallorca until 8 am. Originally, we were very worried about this so called ferry we knew nothing about, but after arrival to the port terminal, we were blown away. The ferry turned out to be somewhat of a cruise ship, with a huge bar and cafeteria and very nice seating for foot passengers, allowing us to get some shut eye. After muchas cervezas, we were all finally able to fall asleep.

Leaving the ferry, we ran into some English speakers (who ended up being Canadians). These people were Courtney and Stephanie, two 18 year old girls backpacking across Europe for six weeks. Fortunately, the girls were amazing and not to mention hilarious, and will definitely be long time friends of ours. Since none of us really knew what we were doing or where we were going (aka winging it), we decided to join forces and take a bus up to Alcudia (the north of the island) and find a cheap hostel to share. After bartering with the Spanish woman, we were able to get two apartment style rooms at a place about 200 meters from the beach for only 10 Euros a night. Dominique and I shared a room with our new Canadian friends, while the boys shared another. The place had an amazing pool, great spacious rooms, and a gorgeous view. Things honestly couldn't have worked out better.

We headed directly to the beach, where the view was literally breathtaking. Look to your left and see the gorgeous mountains, look to your right and you see the crystal clear Mediterannean. Although pretty cold for a Floridian like myself, the water was so refreshing and calm. Thats when the partying began, and did not stop until late last night when we made it to bed. After a few nights of karaoke with the locals, discotecas until 6 AM, and wine and cheese on the beach while watching the sunset, I am completely in love with Mallorca. Not only did we make some new friends for life, but we also formed a very close bond between all of us. This weekend is very close to going down as one of the best of my life, and I really hope I can take my family back to Mallorca someday so they can see it for themselves. I will be adding some photos/videos to the blog, but for the full album you will have to hit up Facebook...trust me, its worth it.

Tyler and Meagan are arriving in just a few hours from London to stay in Valencia until Thursday. From then, we are all taking a trip to Rome to celebrate Dominique's birthday! Considering Nick and Dominique have been there before and know all the great places to eat, I am expecting this weekend to be great. Although on Monday we must part from Tyler and Meg, we are then flying straight into Madrid rather than Valencia. We are meeting our program there for the week for an all inclusive look at the beautiful city. This means no classes for a whole week! Wooh :) Although a break from school will be nice, I am enjoying my classes incredibly. Intermediate espanol is tough, but so helpful. Today we learned to sing a song in Spanish, and plan to perform it at the local karaoke bar once we've got it down pat. My food and wine class is what you would expect, if not better. We received our very own wine glass and have a tasting of one red and one white each class. In just a few weeks, we are taking a bus to a vineyard not too far away to see how they make the wine and purchase a bottle for ourselves. I know that everyone back home is jealous, but I miss you all so much! Please keep emailing and sending pictures, it really does help. Mom and dad, possibly send me some pictures of you guys and Cody? I am praying for him <3 Hope everyone is doing great, and I would love to hear from each and every one of you. Until next time, buenos noches.

Spanish Cuisine

Dominique and I's new boyfriends

So after a few failed attempts, it seems as though we are finally finding the right places to eat. We have come to find that wandering out of the main areas (the plazas) and into the back alleys, you are more likely to come across cheap and delicious true Spanish food. Dom and I have found our new favorite cafe, consisting of delicious cafe con leche and horchatas (a Spanish drink consisting of almonds, cinnamon and vanilla) and delicious doughnuts. The cafe has no menu because everyone that goes in is a local and has been going for years. Through excessive hand gestures and pointing, we were able to figure out what is good.

Nick was able to find us a delicious tapas bar, Bougedilla de Gato, a few blocks back from our home. It is a local favorite, and now one of ours. For only $50 (split between five of us) we were able to get around seven tapas, all so delicious. To my surprise, my favorite was either the bull tail or the deer chorizo, both exquisite. After splitting a bottle of delicous red wine with Dominique and people watching, we were able to make it to the local pub by midnight. As the picture above shows, Dominique and I made friends with tons of Bilbao fans (Don't worry, they weren't all that old). Tonight at 10, there is a huge futbol game between Barcelona y Madrid and the fans are everywhere. There wasn't a moment last night when I didn't hear either team chanting their cheers. It is a huge rivalry, and red and white is taking over the town. Even as I sit here now writing this blog, I hear outside the window "Bilbaooo Bilbaooo Ours Ours Ours." Although it is starting to get pretty annoying, I still love it.

We were able to make it to la playa the other day, although it wasn't the best of weather. We are headed to Mallorca (an island 3 hours off the coast) on Thursday night. Dominique and I will be traveling with all of our boy roommates, so don't worry, we will be safe :) We are taking a ferry and staying in a hostel on the beach. I am sure I will have some pretty pictures to post! According to a magazine, Mallorca is listed under the Top 10 Beaches of the World, so obviously I am thrilled. I am very excited for next Monday when Tyler and Meagan will be arriving to Valencia. From there we will embark on our adventure to Rome for Dominique's birthday. Although I am exhausted day to day, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love it here. Miss you all.

Great Day in Valencia

Valencia 3 Real Madrid 0

Yesterday was the most eventful day yet! We started the day off at the last bull fight of the summer, one of the craziest things I have ever seen in my life. It begins with all of the matadors coming out in their cute little outfits and waving to the crowd. Then each matador goes behind their posts to hide from the bull while one takes the center of the ring. There are four sections of the fight. First, the matador runs the bull around the ring to test its speed. Next, the men on horses come out to taunt the bull and test their strength. Thirdly, the matador stabs the back of the bull in order to numb the area in which they will kill it, and lastly, the matador stabs the bull in the spine. If he hits it in the right spot, the bull will die immediately. But unfortunately, a few of the matadors yesterday did not hit the right spot and the bull had to be stabbed multiple times until it died. Depending how the matador did, the audience waves different color scarves (white being the best, yellow being the worst.) Overall, a very cool experience, but definitely a one time thing.

After watching four bulls, we headed straight for the futbol arena to see Valencia (4) vs. Real Madrid (2), which was chaos from the start. There are hundreds of police wearing very heavy gear with helmets and guns out and ready. After having our bags checked and being pat down, we were able to head for our seats (the last row in the entire arena). The game was one of the coolest things I have ever seen and fortunately, Valencia won by 3. This is one of Spain's largest rivalries and it was a sold out game. You can imagine how crazy it was to witness. After the win, we headed straight for a bar to celebrate and waited outside to see the players leaving the arena. Nick was fortunate enough to get his jersey autographed and Dominique a picture.

We made it home by two (which is early for Valencia) and figured it would be a good idea to get some shut eye. We were awoken at 5:30 AM by a band marching through the streets right outside our window, with hundreds of people following them carrying flags. They were headed to la Plaza de Virgen for the 'Passing of the Virgin' ceremony at 10. A great weekend in Valencia, and I look forward to starting school this week! Hope everyone back home is doing great. Happy Mothers Day :)

Guest Appearance, courtesey de Nicholas.

Hola mis amigos! Es mi primero post. I miss everyone but not enough to come back now. We partied last night and I saw the sun come up. It was a little depressing because I slept until 4. We went to a market yesterday and it was wild. There were all kinds of fish and things that I have never seen before. We walked about 40 miles through the city doing various things. All we wanted to do was eat paella and go to this bar Max Max. We did neither. We are going to see Valencia beat Real Madrid tonight so watch it in the homeland and watch for us! Now since my time is limited for the day I have to go. Adios!

Our First Adventure

A delicious dinner after an hour and a half of being lost.

So last night was our first true adventure in the dark city of Valencia. Although I have always thought that us American college kids went out pretty late, it's nothing compared to true Valenthians. After about 3 miles of walking through the college area of Valencia, having no idea where we were going and not a single English speaking person to talk to, we finally ran into some Americans from our program (sigh of relief). We sat down for dinner around 11:30, delicious flatbread pizzas and cold beer, then once tipsy enough to leave, we headed to the club around 2. From there, we went to a few different clubs (ranging from Espanol techno dance clubs to smoky local pubs) until we decided to hail a cab around 4 am. I actually surprised myself with my Spanish speaking, and was the sole reason we made it back to our homes that night. I was even able to hold a conversation with our driver, Gabriel, about how much it may cost to rent a scooter and how good the futbol game is going to be tonight. Despite spending 60 Euros on a ticket (they are normally around 40), we will be witnessing one of the biggest rivalries this season, Valencia vs. Real Madrid. We are headed to the stadium around 7 to began drinking and purchase some Valencia scarves and jerseys, which are necessary to blend in. Unfortunately, due to the game, I may be missing the only bull fight of the summer :( But I am excited to experience something so big with the locals. Our program directer, Ignacio, claims that futbol is more important than religion, and is to be taken very seriously. (He has season tickets.) As you can see, we are having an amazing time and I'm sure things will only get better. We have a few trips planned for the upcoming weekends including, Rome, Amsterdam, & Switzerland. We are also thinking about meeting Mr. DiPasqua in Barcelona for a long weekend! Gosh, this is amazing. Hope everything back home is great! Heard the Magic are up 2-1, I BELIEVE! Love you guys.

View from our bedroom window

We have landed! Although two of me and Dominique's bags did not :( Hopefully they will be here by today though. This place is too beautiful to even stress about it. We are living in the FSU Study Center, overlooking these gorgeous tower ruins with a huge bell tower on top. Dominique and I are sharing a room and fortunately, have our own bathroom. Also living with 2 other girls and 6 other boys, not a bad ratio. On arrival, we immediately dropped our stuff and headed to the city, despite being awake for over 24 hours. After a Spanish beer in the Plaza de Virgen and some empanadas in the park, we headed for dinner with the whole group and then out for our first night on the town. It was amazing, to say the least, and I cannot wait to see the rest of the city.

Let the madness begin...

(Excuse the cheesy picture below, it had to be done.) So the day has finally arrived for Dominique, Nick and I to embark on our journey to Europe. Although we are more than thrilled to be going, we can't ignore the fact that we have about 13 hours of travel ahead of us :/ Despite the fact, I am so excited to be doing this and can't wait to share my experience with all of you! Next time I update this, I will hopefully have arrived safely to Valencia. Until then, VIVA ESPANA!