Sofia in Spain!

2011-11-16T15:40:00.001+01:00

2011-11-16T15:28:00.000+01:00

I'm afraid I got busy and then lazy to update my blog. After Granada we headed back to Barcelona, and also visited Pamplona, Bilbao, and San Sebastian. Perhaps this Christmas break I'll find some time to post entries. :)

2011-05-29T17:29:00.000+02:00

I'm back home already! But I'll still do some posts on the last leg of my trip. So stay tuned :-)

Granada: city of La Alhambra... and kebabs!

2011-05-22T20:24:00.013+02:00

From Córdoba, it was off to Granada! This was actually the one city I wanted to visit the most in my trip. I was really dying to see the Alhambra and all my planning revolved around this city.

Anyway. When we arrived in Granada it was almost 9. We took the city bus from the bus station which was supposed to take us to the Cathedral (which is near Plaza Nueva, which is near our hotel) but for some reason, it took a different route. We ended up having to get off at the city center and walked uphill to Plaza Nueva. It wasn't so bad though and we found our hotel without much problem.

We checked right in because the boys wanted to watch the basketball game. So after settling down a bit, Ange and I went out to buy dinner. We found a cheap kebab place nearby and bought some for all of us. Then we headed back to the hotel and watched a game with the boys.

The next day we slept in a bit since we would be waking up quite early the day after. We looked for the Alcaicería and almost it! It's really narrow streets and the entrance is from the square. Granada is especially full of Moorish influences and la Alcaicería is an Arab bazaar. The place was so pretty with lots of colors. We walked up and down the narrow streets but didn't buy anything.

The entrance

After walking around, we decided to have lunch in the square. We had the menu del día of one of the restaurants. Ange and I had some good paella and the boys tried caracoles (snails)!

Our paella

Snails... eww

We finished a little before 4pm, and since all the sights were closed for lunch break we decided to go shopping. Some shops were still closed but we found an open H&M nearby. When we were done with H&M, we split up. Javier and I went to the cathedral and Ange and Quintin (who decided that they've seen enough cathedrals) shopped some more.

The cathedral of Granada was really different. The first thing you notice is that it's very white! It was made with a different kind of marble from other cathedrals. Also, the cathedral has no choir (which is usually in the middle of the cathedral). Thus it is more open and consequently makes the cathedral look bigger.

After touring the cathedral, we went to visit the Capilla Real (Royal Chapel). It's a mausoleum and it's claim to faim is that it holds the tombs of Queen Isabella and her husband King Ferdinand. It also has the tombs of Queen Juana (la loca) her husband, King Philip, and Prince Miguel. Granada was one of Queen Isabella's favorite cities which is why her body was placed there.

We spent the afternoon chilling about in our hotel then a little before dinner we went to the Albaicín to explore. The Albaicín is one of Granada's districts and is supposed to be really beautiful with all its Moorish influences. Personally, I didn't find anything amazing about it. We did go to the Mirador de San Nicolas which is where you're supposed to get one of the most beautiful views of the Alhambra (the Albaicín is on a hill). The view was beautiful and we stayed quite awhile there. We were supposed to wait for sunset so we could see the lights of the Alhambra but it was already 9:30pm and the sky was still bright! We were also pretty hungry so we went down to have dinner.

Streets of Albaicín

The Alhambra from the Mirador de San Nicolas

We had... kebabs! at Plaza Nueva which is right by our hotel. Actually we had a kebab pizza and it was pretty good. We headed back to the hotel to call it an early night since we'd be getting up early the next day.

And now for La Alhambra! The Alhambra is Spain's most visited attraction and they have hours on their tickets to control entry. We took the morning slot which allows us entrance from 8:30am to 2pm. We left at around 8:15 (I think, I can't quite remember) and took the bus up. From where the bus stopped we walked to one of the entrances. We got there at around 9 and we our entrance to the Nasrid Palaces was at 9:30 so we just had breakfast at the small café while waiting.

The Alhambra is a palace-fortress complex which was built by the Moorish rulers in the 14th century. A few parts of it were used and reconstructed when the Catholic kings took over the city. It has a lot of Islamic architecture as well as Christian influences and it's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Alhambra complex has three main parts: the Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces, and the Generalife. But the land is huge and there's also the Palace of Carlos V and the Gardens.

We went to the Nasrid Palaces first since you can only enter at a specific time (which is stated on your ticket - ours was 9:30). The Nasrid Palaces are called "the heart of the Alhambra" and this was my favorite part. The Palaces are further divided into three parts: the mexuar (where government functions are held), the serallo (where the sultans held court), and the harem (the sultan's private rooms). The whole palace was gorgeous; all the apartments, fountains, pools, and the intricately beautiful architecture.

The exit to the Nasrid Palaces was right beside the Palace of Charles V so we went there next. It's really interesting because the exterior is perfectly square but the courtyard inside is circular. This place has two museums but we didn't go inside. We instead went inside one temporary exhibit. I forgot the name but it was about this dude who did mathematically cool stuff. I'm sounding really vague but it was pretty interesting.

Inside the Palacio de Carlos V

The Alcazaba was up next. The Alcazaba was the original fortress. It's mostly walls and ruins now, but you can climb the bell tower which gives you a nice view of the city.

Angela with the city behind her

Plaza Nueva from up in the Alhambra. Good kebab places there and our hotel is right around the corner

From the Alcazaba we walked along the Jardines del Portal to get to the Generalife. Beautiful beautiful gardens.

Last part of the Alhambra was the Generalife. This one is further away from the complex and was the summer palace of the Nasrid kings. The Generalife also has its own gardens which are just beautiful. They have high grass walls plus all their flowers were in bloom.

At the gardens of the Generalife

Check out the roses

The Generalife

I was really happy with our trip to the Alhambra. I was nervous at first because I had such high expectations, but the Alhambra more than exceeded my expectations. It was just so beautiful there and I really enjoyed the time we spent there.

We finished before 2 and still had time before our bus at 4 so we went back down to Plaza Nueva. We had kebabs again at a restaurant in the square then got our bags and headed to the bus station. Then it was a 5 hour bus ride back to Madrid!

I ♥ Córdoba

2011-05-20T13:20:00.010+02:00

Before I begin let me just say that Córdoba is such an underrated city. Whenever I (and most people I know) hear Andalucía, they always think of Sevilla and then Granada for the Alhambra. But Córdoba is just gorgeous and it's become one of my favorite Spanish cities.

On our last morning in Sevilla, we didn't do much. Just slept in, packed and then checked out. Bel went to see the Alcazar early in the morning. Ange, Quintin, and I had breakfast at Cien Montaditos and Javier went to mass at the Cathedral. After mass was done we walked back to our hotel and took a taxi to the train station. Bel was waiting for us there and we made it 7 minutes before our train was scheduled to depart. (Hehe.)

Our train ride to Córdoba took an hour and twenty minutes. When we got to Córdoba we took a bus as instructed by our hostel, but we didn't know the stops and ended up going down like 3 stops after we were supposed to get off. So we just decided to walk (uphill) to the Plaza and from there find our hostel. It took us awhile but we found our hostel and checked in.

We were (as usual) hungry so we walked to the Plaza and looked for a restaurant. It was pretty late, about 4 already I think, but this one restaurant was still serving. It ended up being one of the best restaurants we've eaten in so far! We had paella, patatas bravas (legit ones), croquetas, calamares, and some yummy salchichon.

Patatas bravas and croquetas

Paella and calamares

Salchichon

After stuffing ourselves, we set out to explore! We walked to the Roman Bridge which was really cool and then crossed it to the other side and visited the Tower of Calahorra. The tower was okay; it came with a free audioguide which told us about Córdoba's history.

By the 'entrance' of the Roman Bridge

Bel and Ange with the tower in the background

Ange being Ange, me being me, Javier being Javier, and Bel being Bel

After an ice cream break (it was 33 degrees!) we spent the rest of the afternoon and the early evening walking around the streets of Córdoba for the Feria de los Patios. Córdoba is so beautiful. The city was actually declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. The streets of Córdoba are so nice. They're mostly narrow and you can really see the Moorish influences around the city. Plus all the buildings are white, and with the flowers in full bloom, they look really pretty.

The Feria de los Patios is a festival in Córdoba held every May. The houses or patios that partake in the festival decorate their patios with flowers and it becomes a city-wide contest. I guess you have to sign up in the city hall to join because in the tourism office you can get a map and they give you routes to follow that include the patios in the contest. They are actually private houses but they open their doors to the public at certain hours.

We followed the purple route which included maybe 16 houses. The patios were pretty but after awhile they kind of start to look the same. We have no idea what the criteria for the contest is though and we had a joke that it was the most flower pots they could put up in their patios. We only went to the first 11 houses because it started getting dark so we decided not to continue.

The streets of Córdoba

Sign to one of the houses

Some of the patios

We walked to the Plaza and looked for a place to have dinner. But being the indecisive people that we are, we ended up eating at the same place we had lunch in. Haha. Still good food.

The next morning (Sunday) we went to have mass at the Mezquita-Catedral. We missed the mass when we got to the Mezquita-Catedral so we walked to a nearby cafe to have breakfast while waiting for the next mass.

The Mezquita-Catedral is amazingly beautiful. I think it was originally a church but then was converted to a mosque when the Moors took over. Then when the king of Spain reconquered the South, he turned it back into a Cathedral. But it's really interesting because only the center part (where we had mass) is a Cathedral. All around the Cathedral is still Mosque like and they have Moorish arches all over. It's a really really pretty sight.

We didn't have to pay to enter the Cathedral for mass so before and after mass we just looked around and took pictures.

The Cathedral part...

...The Mezquita part

After the Mezquita-Catedral we went to the nearby Alcazar. The fortress wasn't anything great but the gardens were so beautiful. Since it was May, all the flowers were in full bloom and there was so much color in the gardens. We stayed there for quite some time taking lots of pictures (and even a video).

In the Alcazar

Ange with the gardens

Bel blending with the flowers

La familia

We had lunch at a small restaurant and then headed to the bus station after. Bel went back to Madrid and Ange, Quintin, Javier, and I were off to Granada!

The last of Sevilla

2011-05-20T01:54:00.006+02:00

On day three of Sevilla, Bel came to join us!

We started the day at around 11, after Bel arrived. We walked to Plaza de España first. We walked around the Plaza a bit and then reenacted the scene of Star Wars. (Yes, I memorized my lines and everything). It was pretty fun, and it only took us about three takes. (Tin says the audio can't be heard that well though because the mike isn't strong).

Pretty cool, right?

We then headed back to the city center and passed through the university. While we were walking back we also pointed out stuff to Bel that we had seen the past two days. We walked to her hostel first so she could check in then had lunch at a nearby tapas bar. Oh, when we were looking for a place to eat, we passed by this one restaurant that looked good but had no people eating outside (and there were no waiters either) so it seemed kind of sketchy so I said to the others, "Baka may tao sa loob" (Tagalog for "Maybe there are people inside") and what do you know, the waiter of the restaurant next door was Filipino! Haha. We looked at the menu of his restaurant but it was a but pricey so we didn't eat there.

At the university

At the place where we had lunch

After lunch we went to visit the Seville Cathedral. The outside alone is impressive and the inside doesn't let down. The Cathedral is huge! It's apparently the biggest cathedral in Spain and also the third largest cathedral in the world! (After the Basilica in the Vatican and St. Paul's in London). I thought that the cathedral closed at 5 but when we went, we saw a sign saying that it would close at 4:30. So I rushed everyone to climb the Giralda (the bell tower) first, just in case they stopped letting people up. The Giralda was pretty easy to climb because instead of stemps there were ramps (35 ramps) then like 17 steps to reach the viewpoint. From there, you get a fantastic view of Sevilla.

Bel with the bells

The view from the tower. Can you see the Plaza del Toros in the background?

We spent some time up then went back down to see the rest of the Cathedral.

Window mosaic

Tadaaaaa!

All of us now

We headed to the Museo de Bellas Artes which is, according to my Fodor's book, the second best museum in Spain after the Prado. We got to go in for free (student discount). The musuem was good but my favorite part was actually a temporary exhibit, the collection of Bellver.

We had a bit of time to spare before our flamenco show so we went back to our hotel for awhile. Then at quarter to 8 we left to look at the place where our show was.

We watched our flamenco show at the Casa de la Memoria Al-Andaluz which was recommended to me by a friend and also my Fodor's guide book. The place was located in the famous Barrio Sta. Cruz so we walked around a bit while simultaneously looking for the place. It was a great place though. It was in a relatively small patio. Instead of a stage there was a wooden tablet on the floor (probably around 5x7 feet) and three chairs for the guitarist and the singer and (what I call) the assistant clapper. Then on three sides the audience seats in folded chairs. The show was really good too. For the first part, the guitarist played while the guy sang. The guy sang with so much emotion and he looked like he was going to cry. (He ended up wiping his tears at the end). Then a woman danced to the guitar and the singer and the clapper for about 20 minutes. Then a guitarist solo for about 10 minutes. Next, the guy danced instead of the woman. Fun fact, male dancers actually dominate flamenco. It's just that the U.S./Hollywood always portrays flamenco with a female dancer (in a red dress no less). The male dancer was really good! At this one point he was gripping his shirt really hard and we all thought he was going to rip it off. (He didn't). We weren't allowed to take photos or videos throughout the show except for the last 5-minute segment; the male and the female dancer danced together. The show was really amazing. While the dancers are dancing I got drawn to their feet. It was really galing what they were doing. And also the guitarist -- the way his fingers were moving. You just can't help but stare.

The male dancer, the female dancer, the singer, the guitarist

The show ended at about 10 then we went to look for dinner. We saw Javi at Plaza and stopped a bit to chat. Oh, and we realized why our meal times were off -- we're so indecisive, it takes us half an hour to find a place to eat! After we had dinner, we asked for the check and the waiter didn't want to give it to us. He told us to relax and stay for awhile. It was seriously so weird. So we just sat around waiting for him to give us the check. Still a good day. Haha.

Ange with the cathedral at night

More of sunny Sevilla

2011-05-19T13:03:00.005+02:00

The next day, we slept in. We left a bit before lunch to go to the Torre de Oro (Tower of Gold) before it closes. It took us pretty quick to get there and the tower was small so we were done in no time.

The tower

Ange with Sevilla behind her

We decided to cross the bridge and go to the other side of the river. We walked along Calle Betis (which is a famous tapas bar street -- but at night) all the way up to Triana which is a really nice neighborhood. We crossed back and had lunch on our side.

The other side of the river

A house in Triana

Lately, we've been eating whenever we're hungry so we're not in tune with Spanish eating times. So when we woke up this morning we purposedly did not eat breakfast so we would be hungry at 2 which is lunch time. It kind of worked as we were able to eat "normally" after. It was really really hot so we ate indoors in a cool airconditioned place. We had another set meal today and I had some really good lentejas!

After lunch we visited the Real Alcazar (royal fortress). The Alcazar is where the King and Queen stayed when they visited Seville. I loved the Alcazar! It was really beautiful and it was here that you could vividly see a mix of Christian and Moorish influences (and also some Sevillian ones). We spent most of the afternoon there. I loved it, it was so gorgeous. A real treat for the eyes.

Ange loves the walls

The baths of the King's powerful mistress. Huge aren't they?

Quintin admiring the ceilings

We didn't do much the rest of the afternoon. Just chilled around in our hotel after walking around the city a bit. Ange and I went out to the shops and we finished the night in our favorite restaurant... Cien Montaditos!

It's always sunny in Sevilla!

2011-05-19T12:27:00.004+02:00

Now we're in the south of Spain, in sunny Sevilla!

Wednesday morning, Bel and I got up early to go to the bank (where she helped me withdraw our tickets for the Alhambra in Granada) and we bought cough syrup for Javier in the pharmacy. Then she went to school and I went back to the apartment to pack.

We left the apartment at about 12 and took the metro to Atocha Renfe, the train station. In the station we bumped into Javi, a friend, who was with his relatives (and also heading to Sevila!). Then we boarded our train which left at 1:30.

The train ride was about two and a half hours long. We passed much of the time playing pusoy dos (Quintin kept on losing), then we bought some food, and I spent the remainder of the trip reading up on Sevilla. We arrived in no time and took our taxi to our hotel. Our hotel was in Plaza del Duque which I originally thought (based on the map) was quite far, but we later found out was only 15 minutes from the Cathedral.

Since the boys were hungry, we looked for a place to have lunch. We ended up in a restaurant and ordered the Menu del Dia. Here in Spain they have menus del dia which are set menus that change every day. You have a first plate, a second plate, and dessert and it almost always comes with bread and a drink. The number of choices varies per restaurant but you can usually pick from 4 choices per plae and 2 for dessert.

Mmmmm...

Our dessert - some yummy mousse strawberry thing

After lunch we took a siesta at the hotel. Haha. We relaxed for an hour or so then headed back out. Sevilla is hot, hot, hot! (Much hotter than I expected) so I changed into shorts.

We walked to the bullring and decided to join the guided tour. Bullfighting is really prominent in Sevilla (and also Madrid). Sevilla's Plaza del Toros is one of the oldest in the country. I actually find bullfighting to be a pretty interesting art. Of course, I don't like that they injure and then kill the toros, but the rituals the matadors go through; their movements; the details that goes into making their clothes, the swords, the cape, etc; and the other stories and history our guide told us... it's actually really interesting.

Plaza del Toros

The boys posing with the statue outside

After touring the bullring, we alked along the river (the Rio de Guadalquivir, which is the longest river in Spain) to the Parque de Maria Luisa. We later on realized that we took the long way to get to the park. We made it to the park, walked around, and came across the beautiful beautiful Plaza de Espana.

The Plaza de Espana was built for the Ibero-American expo in 1972 (it's now used as government offices). I've been trying to type to describe it but I just keep deleting the words because I feel that they can't justly describe it. I've seen tons of pictures of the Plaza before coming to Sevilla but it's even more gorgeous than I pictures.

To start off, we decided to take a boat ride around the mini river to relax. Well, Ange and I relaxed while the boys rowed.

Javier and Quintin. They took turns rowing.

They had these for all the cities in Spain. Here I am with my beloved Pamplona!

Then we just walked around and took pictures. I told the boys that the plaza was the setting for one of the Naboo scenes in Star Wars. Quintin kept asking exactly where in the plaza it was so I went online and got the picture. Interestingly, when I was downloading the picture, we were actually already in the exact spot!

So being the geeks that we are, we tried to recreate the scene. Complete with fake dialogue that went something like this...

Me (as Padme): ...We have to save he world from Darth Vader
Quintin (as Anakin): *pause* I'm Darth Vader!

Unfortunaely, the light was pretty bad (it was late afternoon) so we made plans to come back. Quintin decided we had to watch the scene on YouTube and memorize our lines.

Our first attempt. Wait til you see the second one.

After the Plaza, we started walking back to our hostel. We passed by the Hotel Alfonso XIII, which is this magnificent 5-star hotel, with really pretty architecture. We went in and looked around the lobby. We stopped in a small heladeria and got some gelatto since it was just so hot, then we just chilled in our hotel until dinner.

We looked for a nearby restaurant for dinner. We found one but the tapas were so small! :-( We vowed never to eat there again. We then headed back to the hotel and called it a night.

A bit more of Salamanca, a side trip to Avila, then back to Madrid

2011-05-19T11:53:00.007+02:00

The morning after, I woke up at 11. 'Twas quite late but I don't know why the others didn't wake me up. I must ave been really tired from my lack of sleep. I huriedly changed then out we went. We still had some ime before our 1:00 bus to Avila.

We stopped by at a small cafe for breakfast then headed to the university. Salamanca has a really good university (especially for Spanish language programs) and since the city is small, it's really populated with students. Anyway, we headed to the main buiding of the university. Here, you're supposed to find the frog. Supposedly, if you're a student at the university, you can't graduate without finding the frog. We tried to look for it, but then this woman selling postcards right outside the university pointed it out to us. Oh well.

the University of Salamanca

The University of Salamanca is one of the oldest universities in the world. The whole time we were looking around, I kept imagining what it would be like to study there. After looking around, we headed back to the hostel, picked up our bags, and took a taxi back to the bus station. We made it with about 5 minutes to spare! We boarded the bus and were on our way to Avila.

The bus to Avila took about two hours. When we arrived we left our bags at a locker in the bus station then set out to explore. We had no map but jus headed out and followed signs o the tourism office. It took us about 20 minutes to find it. When we go there, a nice Spanish lady (I say nice because most Spanish people are masungit) gave us a map and pointed out spots of interest.

We visited the Cathedral first since it was nearby. It was prety but the guide only came in Spanish and the information was not very extensive. After the Cathedral we walked to the Convent of Sta. Teresa and looked around a bit.

Then we decided to walk along the muralla (the walls). Avila is one of the most famous walled cities in Spain. We climbed the muralla and just walked along the walls to the next exit (since we were quite hungry). It was beautiful up there and we had a great view of the city.

The walls

Since we were really hungry then, we decided to eat at Telepizza (a Spanish pizza chain), which we saw earlier. While waiting for our food, Javier and I visited the Basilica of St. Vincent. The exterior was really pretty and the interior had a lot of little details with really interesting information behind them.

We took our time eating our pizza then walked back to the bus station. We missed the 6pm bus back to Madrid so we got our bags and walked to the train station. We arrived 20 minutes before the 7:15 train so we bought tickets and waited for the train.

Back in Madrid we headed back to the apartment and met up with Bel. After freshening up and planning out the next few days, we headed out for dinner. We originally planned to go bar hopping but because we started too late (and it was a dead Tuesday night) we were only able to eat at one place. It was a really good place though -- Cien Montaditos, which deserves its own blog entry. So after walking around and not finding any good places to eat, we ended up in San Gines. Yummy, delicious churros to end the night.

Our huge tinto de verano and cerveza at Cien Montaditos

The montaditos

Ending the night in San Gines

Salamancaaaaaa

2011-05-13T19:29:00.004+02:00

Sorry for the short hiatus, but I'll try to update a lot now before our flight to Barcelona this afternoon.

So back to after the game: Since I went straight from the game go the apartment to the airport, I landed in Madrid still in my Barça jersey. Needless to say, I got a lot of funny and dirty looks from Madrileños. Oops! Haha.

Back at Tita Marilou's apartment, Javier, Bel and Quintin were there. We had breakfast together then I did some laundry and took a nap. At about 12:30, we headed to the bus station to catch our bus to Salamanca. We bought lunch at the station and ate aboard the bus. Ange's flight from Lisbon got delayed so she would just follow. The bus ride took us about three hours. We mostly ate and slept the whole ride. From the bus station in Salamanca we decided to take a taxi to our hostel. I watched the meter and it rose 5 cents every 10 seconds! Our total came out to about 4 euros which we split amongst us so it wasn't too bad. We dropped off our bags then headed out to explore.

We first walked to the Plaza Mayor. Each city in Spain has its own Plaza Mayor (Main Square) and the one of Salamanca is supposedly one of the prettiest. We also later found out that it was used in one of the scenes in the movie Vantage Point. The plaza was pretty, but because there was a book fair in the middle of the plaza, we didn't get the best view.

From the Plaza we walked to the Cathedrals. Salamanca has two side: la Catedral Vieja y la Catedral Nueva (the Old and New Cathedral). They were so so beautiful. (I wrote down in my notebook that they are my favorite so far, but it seems that with each city we visit, the cathedrals get more and more beautiful). Anyway, in the facade of the Old Cathedral amidst the carvings, there's supposed to be a carving of an astronaut and a dragon eating ice cream. When the church was destroyed and then rebuilt, the architect added these. We looked up and down the facade but couldn't find them! I even googled it but we still couldn't find it. Later on, we saw a group of tourists looking at something near the central door and when we went to check it out, there was the astronaut and the dragon. It's at eye-level pala! We were busy craning our necks up.

After the cathedrals we just decided to walk around the city. We walked around the university campuses and down the Puente Romano (Roman Bridge) to the other side of the city. You can get a great view of Salamanca from the other side of the river. (Unfortunately, since Ange wasn't with us, I took these pictures with my camera. And since I don't have a card reader, the pictures will have to wait!). We just walked around and around and headed back to the hotel near 8 to meet up with Ange.

Our hotel, by the way, was pretty small. We had a dorm room but since we got a form with 4 beds, it was just us in the room.

Ange's bus was taking quite awhile so we took a nap while waiting for her. She came a about 9 then we headed out for dinner. We went to Calle Van Dyck which is supposed to be a famous tapas bar street but for some reason, a lot of the bars and restaurants were closed. The others were too full. We walked down the road and ended up in a restaurant that sold some tapas for 1 euro. The servings were a bit small but we had a pitcher of sangria (which came with a helping of pork) for 7 euros. Not bad.

2011-05-13T19:06:00.002+02:00

Sorry, I won't be able to post for awhile because I have no computer to use. I still owe you all pictures and entries! Bye for awhile :-)

¡Visça el Barça!

2011-05-13T18:36:00.002+02:00

(Sorry for the lack of updates; had no internet connection nor computer for the past few days)

When I couldn't sit still anymore, I left the apartment and walked a bit before I had to meet Maya's friend. We were going to meet outside the metro, so I went to the station and waited outside. I sent her a message saying that I was wearing jeans and a Barça shirt. I looked around and realized that everyone was wearing jeans and a Barça shirt. Haha. So I added that I had sunglasses on and that I was reading a book. She came at exactly 6:15 (on time, not bad for an Española!) and we walked to Camp Nou together. She was very friendly and we got along well.

We arrived at the stadium, found our seats (Thank you, Pol! - We used the season tickets of Pol and his dad) and settled down. Since it was still early we saw the players -- I spotted Messi easily -- warming up. The game started at 7 (actually pretty early for a Spanish league game) and it was a bit hot at first. But by the second half, the sun had set and it got cooler.

Right before the game

Camp Nou!

Anna and I

I had an amazing time at the game! The game wasn't too showy but we did get to see two goals. It's really something else to watch at the stadium with the whole crowd cheering, clapping, and chanting Barça songs. I don't think I stopped smiling the whole match. Iniesta's goal (the first one of the match) was even on our side. I almost got another goal on video but it was canceled. This was my first time to watch Barça play live. Funnily enough, it's actually my second time to watch Espanyol play since I watched one of their friendlies/pre-season matches three years ago with my dad (at the Olympic stadium).

Players celebrating Iniesta's goal

Messi! Haha

After the game we were able to go down to a lower part of the stadium and got better pictures taken. Then we took the metro and headed back to the apartment.

Back at the apartment, I hung out with Maya, Pau and Pol. And Julie came home from Murcia. We all had dinner together (a home cooked meal by Pol) then a bit after midnight, Pol took me to Plaça Espanya. (I rode a motorbike for the first time! It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be.) Then he waited with me for the night bus which I then took to the airport (since the metros and trains were closed).

I ended up sleeping in the airport while waiting for the check-in counter to open. It opened at about 4:30; I checked in then went to the boarding gate and was Madrid bound.

So long, Lisbon; Hello, Barcelona!

2011-05-08T15:23:00.004+02:00

On our last day in Lisbon I planned for us to visit the Oceanario. We took the metro to get there; it was in another district of Lisbon -- Parque das Nacoes. This district was actually the site of the World Expo in 1998. There was this avenue of flags that had flags of all the countries that participated in the Expo. We walked along the river to the Oceanario. It was colder in this area because it was by tbe river.

The outside of the Oceanarium was not very impressive looking but the actual aquarium was neat. It was cool how everything was arranged and we saw three cute sea otters!! The Oceanarium was cool but I'll have to admit that with what I've read while researching, I expected a bit more. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the aquarium and with that done, I completed my checklist of things I wanted to see in Lisbon.

The Oceanario took quicker than expected and I had some time to kill before having to go to the airport for my flight. Since Angela was going to meet her friend in that area, we decided to wait and have lunch in the mall. We just decided to eat in McDo. I had a pretty good meal though: a happy meal (chicken nuggets, coke, fries and a toy) for 3 euros and a cheeseburger for 1 euro. Not bad!

After lunch we walked around a bit more then I took the metro back to the hostel to pick up my bag. I walked to the bus station to take the Aerobus to the airport. It seems I had just missed the bus because I had to wait 20 minutes and was getting nervous. Luckily I had already checked in online (I had no maletas; just a hand carry). So when I got to the airport I went straight to the boarding gate.

I did enjoy Lisbon (though I think we spent a day too many there). It was my first time in Portugal and it was nice to see the country. But now, I'm really glad to be back in Spain. I guess I'm a Spain girl through and through.

When I landed in Barcelona, I walked to the train station, bought a 10-trip ticket and took the train to Sants Estacio. From there I took the metro to my cousins' place. It seems my message didn't reach my cousin because she was wondering where I was. She called my sisters and when Bel tried to call me, apparently they heard a man talking. A bit weird and I don't know how that happened but I'm safe and sound.

As I was walking down the road I saw my cousin Maya and when we reached each other we were hugging and screaming and got a lot of funny looks from the people nearby. Haha. Anyway, we walked to the apartment and Pol (my cousin Julie's boyfriend) was there and I met Maya's boyfriend Pau for the first time. (Julie's in some music festival in Murcia but is coming home tonight, I think). Maya and I then had dinner at a resataurant Pol recommended. The food was good but I was happy just spending time with Maya.

Today, Maya's out the whole day (she works at a dance company) and the boys are out studying I think. Which left me home alone. I was so comfortable that I didn't want to leave but I dragged myself to the shower and headed out.

But ahh, it feels so good to be back in Barcelona. For those of you who don't know, Barcelona is my favorite city! It especially feels good to be back on a game day. Tonight is the Barcelona derby; Barca plays their hometown rivals, Espanyol. Barca and Catalunya flags are hanging from the windows and there are quite a few people wearing their jerseys (I spotted the cutest little kid wearing an old Ronaldinho one).

Anyway, I walked around looking for the church that Maya said was nearby. I found it without much problem and stayed to pray. Aftfer I just walked around and bought some food in the supermarket to have for lunch. I'll walk around some more later but tonight I'm watching the game at Camp Nou. So excited! :-)

Cold and windy Sintra!

2011-05-06T19:22:00.006+02:00

This morning, Bel arrived from Madrid. We had breakfast together then left to catch the train to Sintra. We walked up to Rossio where the train station was and were able to catch the 11:01 train to Sintra - the ticket was 3,60 euros round trip, but we had to pay 50 cents for the card thing that you beep. So weird.

Sintra is actually part of the Lisbon region but not part of Lisbon city (unlike Alfama and Belem which are districts in Lisbon city). It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its Romantic architecture.

The train ride took us 40 minutes. It was colder in Sintra than in Lisbon because it was located higher up in the hills. We stopped at the municpal hall to get a map then headed off to explore. We decided to go first to Quinta da Regaleira. It's this summer estate of a wealthy family. The place was really interesting though because unlike many other summer palaces/houses I've been to in Europe, it was located on a hill. The house was actually small but the grounds were huge. There were lakes, a chapel, a park, and even these underground tunnels. We didn't go to the tunnels though, just visited the house, the chapel, and climbed up the tower. The tower offered a great view of Sintra. Sintra's such a quaint and pretty city!

Quinta da Regaleira

After we visited Quinta da Regaleira, we stopped at a small restaurant to have lunch. I'm not really a fan of Portuguese food. It's mostly seafood which I don't really like. Plus they cook meat differently here. But the lunch we had in Sintra was pretty good. Probably the best meal I had so far (and it was just carbonara and a beef burger. Haha)

We then decided to visit the Castelo dos Mouros (the Moorish castle). We initially wanted to walk up to the castle. When we asked the tourism office (before going to Quinta) if the distance to the Moorish Castle was walkable, he knd of laughed at first then said yes, but it was 30-40 minutes. Then when we confirmed again he said 45 minutes. After we had lunch we dropped by the information office and the girl politely tried not to laugh and told us that the walk would be an hour! So we just took their advice and rode the bus (4,80 euros round trip).

Well, we were pretty glad we took the bus. It wasn't actually hard to walk - the roads were actually nice, no boulders and it's not like mountain climbing or anything - but the bus trip did take a little less than 10 minutes so it really would've been a long walk. Plus on the ride up we saw other tourists walking and they didn't look too happy. Haha.

The Moorish castle from Quinta. Good thing we took the bus.

Anyways, we got to the Moorish castle and it was cold! It was one of the highest points in the city. It was also cold and windy AND I was wearing a dress. Not the best day to do so but eh, I survived. Haha.

The castle was built in the 8th or 9th century but was reconstructed in the 19th century. It was a built as a military fortress. We walked around the castle walls and took lots of pictures. Very pretty (but really cold and windy).

The Pena National Palace in the distance. It was recommended to us not to visit it, so we just took pictures from the Moorish castle. Haha.

After touring the castle we took the bus back down all the way to the train station. The train was just about to leave and we took it back to Lisbon.

We're back in Lisbon, just chilling around in the hostel. Lisbon's a pretty nice city but there really is nothing much to do! Haha. Tomorrow we're visiting the Oceanarium then I fly off to Barcelona. Bel goes back on Sunday evening and Ange on Monday morning.

The Alfama and Belem districts

2011-05-05T20:21:00.006+02:00

Today, we decided to go on one of the free walking tours the hostel offers. At 10:30 we gathered in the lobby. Our tour guide came and we walked to two other hostels nearby to pick up more people. Then we walked to Praça do Pedro where we started the tour. Our tour guide, Tara, is actually Canadian. She came to Lisbon two months ago but fell in love with the city and never left. She really knows so much about Lisbon though.

Here's Tara talking about St. Christopher, who happens to be the patron saint of travelers

Our tour was around Alfama (one of the districts of Lisbon) and we were actually here yesterday (this is where St. George's castle is). But this time around we learned a lot from Tara so it was cool. Like Lisbon is actually on 7 hills! (Seven!!!) And Alfama is on one of those hills. We also visited this one spot of ruins and Tara told us about the 1755 earthquake. It happened on November 1 (on the 9th month, at 9am, and lasted for 9 minutes), which is All Souls' Day. So there were a lot of candles everywhere - people lighting candles for the dead - and so during the earthquake, fire spread. The people rushed to the river, but the earthquake was followed by a tsunami. 80% of the city was destroyed and 80% of the population died. So devastating.

During that time, the king wasn't much of a help but then this architect guy came in to save the city. He found ways to make the city more sturdy and "earthquake proof" and was able to get people to help him rebuild the city. When we walked to Praça do Comércio, Tara told us about the statue and the Arch.

The statue in the middle of the new Praça da Comércio (square/plaza) is of the King who was king during the earthquake, but it's of the king, on horseback facing away from the city. It symbolizes how the king fled from the people and didn't help them. And the arch is like their version of the Arc de Triomphe and symbolizes "triumph over national disaster." Really interesting.

After the tour, Ange and I grabbed some lunch then took the Tram 15 to Belem. Belem is actually part of Lisbon, but it's on the riverbanks and it's about half an hour by tram.

Me with one of the trams. Not the one we rode though

Belem is really beautiful. Most of what we saw was gardens/parks and the riverbanks. There were boats in the ports and lots of cool buildings and structures. We walked along and spotted the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (monastery). It was so beautiful I wanted to just stand there and stare at it the whole day. Plus, it had a fountain in front which made it so picturesque.

The monastery. (Let me look for my shot with the fountain).

We walked along some more and came across a museum of contemporary art. I remembered reading about it on the bulletin board in the hostel. There was supposed to be a collection with Andy Warhols and Picasso. It was free so Ange and I went in. There were no Warhols so we were a bit disappointed. The museum was all modern art which is not really my thing (too weird!). So we just walked around a bit then left. (Good thing it was free. Hehe.)

We walked down some more and finally arrived at the Torre de Belem. I don't know how to describe this tower except that it's so cute! Haha. But it really is such a cute tower; it's only 30 meters tall. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was used as a port, a fortress, and even as a prison.

The tower! It's so cute, right?

Right before heading back to the city center we tried some Pastel de Nata. It's this Portuguese egg tart pastry and the best ones are supposed to come from Belem. We haven't tasted them in other parts of Lisbon, but the one we had in Belem was really good! We thought it would be heavy and the crust would be hard but it's actually really soft, yummy, and light.

We got back to the city center and visited church. We're not doing much now. Hopefully Ange can have dinner with her friend (since we fell asleep last night!).

Edit: Ange's friends are here. And here at the hostel, you get one free shot at 11:30 pm. Haha.

So this is Lisbon

2011-05-04T17:00:00.008+02:00

To get to the airport and catch our flight, Ange and I woke up at 4am. We changed, got ready, had something to eat, and were out the door. We got to the bus station at 4:30 and waited for the bus to take us to Cibeles. Bel said the bus comes every 20 minutes... we were getting nervous waiting for it! We were just about to take a taxi already when along comes to bus almost half an hour later. We took it up to Cibeles and from there took the shuttle to the airport. We were able to check in and board without problems and were soon on our way to Lisbon.

We arrived in Lisbon at about 8am (it's one hour behind Spain) and took the shuttle to the city center. I was really hesitant at first to visit Lisbon; I thought that there was pretty much nothing to do here. But as I was riding the bus, I looked out the window and was getting excited. For some reason, the city gave me a strong first impression. We followed the directions given by the hostel and were able to find it without problems. We're staying at the Yes! Hostel which was recommended by Angela's CISV friend Pavao, because his CISV friend Manuel works there. (Funny story, I actually met Manuel in 2008 at a conference in Italy but was not able to remember him. Haha.) Anyway, we paid and left our bags because check-in was at 2:30. By the way, I LOVE the hostel but I will rave about it later on. We also met another guy working there and when we said we were from the Philppines, he got excited and goes "Entonces, hablas español!" (So, you speak Spanish!) I understood him of course, but then I told him how not everyone in the Philippines speaks Spanish and he was pretty shocked because he really thought Spanish was an official language.

I really had no idea of what to do in Lisbon. The few sites I want to go, I'm saving for when Bel is with us. So Ange and I checked the map and decided to go to St. George's Castle. Lisbon is also a pretty hilly city. We had to walk up and up and up to get to the castle.

The walls in one of the streets. Ange is obsessed with walls on this trip!

The castle was a treat though. We paid the 7 euro entrance fee then went in to walk around. Since the castle is located up on a hill, probably one of the highest points in the city, it offers a magnificent view of Lisbon. Ange and I took lots and lots of pictures here. From here you can see the bridge which resembles the Golden Gate Bridge. Ange told me that the architect who designed Lisbon was the same one who designed San Francisco. Since Lisbon is also hilly, it has trams just like San Francisco.

We walked around the castle complex. It wasn't that huge actually. We read that the castle was strategically positioned there - in the highest and hilliest part - to make it harder for enemies to reach. Ange and I agree because it really took us forever to get there! Haha. Anyways, we walked around the walls of the castle. Some parts were actually pretty scary as it was narrow and the ledge was low. I felt like I was going to fall off. We made it though (haha) and we have some really nice pictures. :-)

The view from the castle. Can you see the Ponte de 25 Abril (bridge) and how it resembles the Golden Gate Bridge? There's also what Ange and I call the fake Christ the Redeemer statue in the background. Haha.

The castle

Ange and I with Lisbon behind us

After roaming around the castle we headed back down. We passed a different route of the one we took coming up and were able to walk through the Alfama district. We even passed by the Cathedral. It was actually small but very beautiful. The interior was not lavishly decorated which made it even more beautiful in its simplicity.

We got another great view of the city. Lisbon is known for it's miradouros (viewpoints). You're supposed to go around the city and look for your favorite miradouro. And already we've found some pretty good ones. We continued walking back down and stopped by a small restaurant for lunch. As Lisbon is by the coast, seafood is very popular here. Ange and I both aren't fans of seafood though so she had pasta and I had meat.

It was almost 2:30 so we decided to go by the river. It was really COLD. We didn't stay long; just took a few pictures and roamed around the square (Praça da Comércio) which is right by the river.

It was so cold!

We then headed back to check-in in our hostel. Okay, now I can rave about the hostel.The hostel is awesome. As soon as you enter you get this really homey feel. The people in the check-in desk are young and very nice and friendly. (Manuel was one of them). On the side, they have four Macs where you can surf the web and they also have free wi-fi. When we arrived it was about breakfast tme (the hostel comes with free breakfast). The dining room is really just a bunch of couches, stools, beanbags, and tables. There's even a bed. It's really warm and cozy. For the hotel you're given this bracelet. To get inside the hostel, you have to beep it against the door. So random passerbys can't just enter the hostel. The bulletin boards in the lobby are full of posters about things to do in Lisbon, but it's not all the touristy stuff that websites give off. It's all places worth going to, nearby and inexpensive restaurants and supermarkets. They even offer free walking tours (you just tip the guide). It's really pretty cool!

We walked up to our room in the second floor. Again, to get into the room you beep your bracelet. (It's personalized, kind of like a key card). The rooms are nice. Three bunk beds (so six people in total) all against one wall. The bottom bunks have curtains for privacy and you have your own sheeets, pillow, blanket, reading light, and outlet. Then below the beds they have these cabinets. Instead of locks, you use... your beeper bracelet! Super cool, isn't it? Plus the cabinet space is huge! Ange was really happy. The shower is common but Ange just took a shower there and she said it was good.

The hostel is even in an amazing location! It's less than five minutes from the main square (Praça do comércio). From there you go through the Arch and that's Rua Augusta. It's a main road that's closed off to cars and has the MUDE museum, several stores (Bershka, H&M, Zara, etc.), restaurants, and even a tourist kiosk. The hostel is in Rua Sao Juliao which is perpendicular to Rua Augusta. Okay, I'll stop raving about the hostel now, but it's a really great place and I recommend it if you ever go to Lisbon!

The beds

The cabinets under the bed

The bracelet beeper

So we stayed a bit and chilled in our hotel. Used the internet, updated this blog. Internet's fast too. We decided to go out in the afternoon. We took oe of the trams - Tram 28 - and it took us up around the old part of Lisbon. We got out in front of the Basilica da Estrela. From the outside it looks grand and magnificent but inside it's really simple. Simple but beautiful. Across the basilica is a garden/park - the Jardim da Estrela. It was so beautiful. It was pretty, quiet, and peaceful. There were a lot of old people and little kids. There were even some teenagers doing their homework and having study groups. Ange and I bought some ice cream and just sat in the park. We spent some time there then took the tram back to the "our" part of the city.

We walked around some more then decided to go inside this museum - the MUDE. The hostel posted about it and it was free so we decided to check it out. Well, it was a bit weird. Haha. But at least it was free. We just roamed around some more then headed back to our hostel. We chilled around, used the internet, I read a bit. They even showed the Manchester United-Schalke game on a projector in the lobby. I watched while waiting for Ange's friend, as we were supposed to have dinner with him.

It was getting pretty late so we went up to the rooms. We decided to lie down a bit, but we ended up falling asleep! The beds were really comfy. Ange and I were sleeping on a sofa bed in Tita Marilou's house so it was pretty nice to have my own bed.

Olé, Toledo!

2011-05-04T16:31:00.006+02:00

Today's day trip was to Toledo. Bel had school, so it was just Ange and I. We took the train to Toledo -- it was a fast trip, about half an hour. When we got out of Toledo's train station, we decided to walk to the city center. Bel told us it would be far - about half an hour or so - but we didn't realize we had to walk uphill. It was a tiring trip, but the view along the way was nice. You could see a lot of the residential and commercial areas from up.

Toledo is gorgeous; it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was one of the former capitals of Spain and it's a melting pot of three religions: Christianity, Islam, and Jewish. All over Toledo you can find traces of these three cultures.

When we finally reached the city-center-ish, we stopped and sat to take a rest. Then we decided to go to the Cathedral first.

After having been to Venice and surprisingly not getting lost, I thought Toledo would be easy to navigate. It wasn't. It was partly our map and partly that it was just so confusing! It took us awhile to find the cathedral.

The cathedral is gorgeous. I liked it much better than the one in Segovia. We went inside, looked around, etc. I thought it was a shame that you couldn't admire the cathedral because there was no plaza in front of it. The roads were narrow and there were buildings all around the cathedral. But when we exited and turned to the right, lo and behold there was the plaza. We got a beautiful shot of the cathedral.

After the cathedral we went to look for the Iglesia de Santo Tome. Before I continue let me tell you (if you haven't figured it out yet) that Toledo is a very very hilly city. We went up and down and left and right and finally just stopped and asked for directions. We ended up at a place we had already passed, but soon found it. Santo Tome is a famous church in Toledo because it was built specifically to house El Greco's "Burial of Count Orgaz". It was actually really interesting but I think Ange and I were too tired at this point.

I then wanted to see the Mezquita of Cristo de la Luz. (In Toledo, you're 'supposed' to see the Cathedral (Christianity), the Mezquita (Muslim), and the Sinagoga (Jewish). We followed the signs to the Mezquita and walked in that direction. Instead of stopping for lunch we bought sandwiches (a tortilla de patata sandwich for me!) and ate on the way. Well, we got lost. Very lost. We were just walking aimlessly for a bit and when we finally found out where we were, we realized we were walking in the opposite direction. We turned and tried to go another direction but ended up back in Santo Tome. We weren't too disappointed as Toledo was impossible for us to navigate. But we just decided to head back to the train station since we didn't have much time left.

Toledo is a lovely city, but I don't think I'll be heading back too soon. It's probably best to go with someone familiar with the city. And wear good walking shoes! I wasn't aware of how hilly Toledo was. And the roads were made of cobblestone too! Walking downill on a cobblestone roads in ballet flats is not easy on the feet.

So we took the train back to Madrid and met up with Bel. We then decided to go to the mall. (Don't worry, Mama. We won't shop a lot. We're only planning to shop in two cities - Madrid and Barcelona.) The mall had all the stores which made it so much easier to shop. It had Primark too (a brand we "discovered" in London on our last Eurotrip which is unbelievably cheap). We shopped for awhile then headed back to Madrid to catch the second half of the Barça-Madrid Champions League game.

On our way home, we stopped to get some kebabs for dinner. (Here in Spain, they call shawarmas, kebabs. Weird, but it was yummy.) We just decided to watch the game on tv at the apartment. It's not exactly safe for me (a Barcelona fan) to watch in a bar in Madrid. Unless the bar is neutral. We drew, but Barça advances to the finals! :-) Perfect way to end the day, I'd say.

Then Ange and I showered and packed our bags because they next day we were off to Lisbon!

Rain or shine in Segovia

2011-05-02T22:05:00.005+02:00

This morning, Bel met us at the apartment before we headed off to Segovia. She told us that we had to leave a bit earlier because we had to find a place to print out our bus tickets. But as we were getting ready to go, Bel couldn't find her usb. She looked all over but to no avail. So we had to go online, find the tickets in her email, then I had to transfer them to my phone. This took up a good deal of our time so we hurriedly rushed out of the apartment. Then as we were walking to the metro stop, Bel finds her usb in some secret pocket in her jeans. (Pla pla talaga.)

But anyway, we rushed and took the metro to the bus station. When we got there, we were able to talk to the vendor and he printed out our bus tickets for us. We boarded the bus and were on our way to Segovia.

We were expecting the bus ride to be two and a half hours, but for some reason it only took us about an hour and ten minutes to get there! Maybe because it's a holiday and there was no traffic?

Segovia is just as beautiful as I remembered it. Truly one of my favorite "smaller" Spanish cities. We took some pictures with the Aqueducts and got a map from the tourist office. Since we had some time before lunch, we decided to go to the Cathedral first.

Bel and I posing with the Aquaducts

Just a side note: Bel and I had been to Segovia before. But the last time we were here (with our cousins on our Eurotrip) we did nothing but eat and take pictures. Haha! So this time around, we decided to go inside the Cathedral.

The cathedral

After touring the Cathedral (I unfortunately left Bel's coat inside. I went back in but it disappeared. :(), we looked for a place to have lunch. We found a nice bar in a street a little off Plaza Mayor. We ordered some tapas then just shared them: chorizo, patatas bravas, gambas, and what I had been desperately craving -- tortilla de patata!

Happy moment -- me with my tortilla de patata (I shared it, okay)

We then walked to the Alcazar. This time around, we went inside and took some pictures. After the Alcazar, we walked along the walls of the city. I think it's really interesting how a lot of Spanish cities are built within walls.

The Alcazar

Gomez sisters reunited!

The view from one of the windows in the Alcazar. Gorgeous, isn't it?

We headed back to the bus station at around 4:00. We still had two hours before our bus but we tried to change our ticket to an earlier time. Unfortunately, since we bought our tickets online, we could only change them online. We looked for an internet place, but everything was closed -- Spanish siesta time. All the shops reopen at 5pm!

We just decided to walk around a bit and talk. It started to rain after awhile so we just went back to the bus station and waited there. Boo, but at least it didn't rain while we were touring the city.

Back in Madrid we went to buy our train tickets for tomorrow (to Toledo!) and for Seville. We then split up. Ange went to meet a friend and I went to Bel's dorm. So no pictures tonight because the camera is with Ange.

Toledo tomorrow!

Edit: Updated with pictures :-)

Finally in Madrid

2011-05-01T21:36:00.007+02:00

Thirty hours after we took off from Manila, we finally landed in Madrid! It took another half an hour or so though until we were finally allowed off the plane. Angela and I passed through immigration, collected our maletas, walked all the way to the metro stop and we’re finally on our way to Tita Marilou’s house.

Really random moment: when we exited the metro and turned the corner, we saw Tita Marilou! (We were originally just going to meet Isabel in her apartment). But anyway, we got to the apartment and finally saw Bel! :-)

We settled down, took showers, and just spent time talking to Bel. She’s the same as ever. :-) Bel says I shrunk, I say she grew an inch.

Bel and I -- all ready to go

After we were all showered and freshened up, we decided to go to Bel’s dorm first. We went to the metro and were deciding which ticket to get – the 10-use ticket or the 3-day unlimited ticket. We were counting over and over again how many metro/bus trips we would take to decide which would be the best one (a single metro/bus is 1 euro). After much deliberation and thinking (with a very clueless Ange standing by) we decided to get the 3-day Abono Pass (unlimited metro and bus use for three consecutive days).

We first went to Bel's dorm. She's living in Colegio Mayor Somosierra -- a residence for girls ran by Opus Dei. The place was really nice. We saw her room, the dining areas, the study rooms, the computer room, the chapel room. We met the directors of the place. They started speaking to me in Spanish and I'm slowly getting used to it again. A bit more practice and I'll hopefully have the confidence to speak. Right now, Bel's been doing most of the talking. :-) We had lunch there as well; we sat with Mathilde and two of Bel's friends (yes, relatives, they're real). Mathilde is one of the directors with whom Bel spent Christmas vacation with. She's really nice and funny (but unfortunately cheers for Real Madrid).

We spent the afternoon in Retiro Park. We walked around a bit, visited the Palacio Cristal, then found a shaded grassy area to sit down. We passed the afternoon just making kwento and eating pipas. The weather here is lovely! It's really cool - about 18 degrees - but the sun is out and it's just beautiful!

Chillin' in the park

From Retiro we decided to have some churros. So we walked down the roads with Bel as our tour guide. She knows the city very well! I wanted to stop inside the Almudena Cathedral but sadly, it was closed for repairs.

The cathedral

We walked all the way down to Cibeles then took the metro to Sol. Then we had merienda at the Chocolateria San Gines. Yummm!

We headed back to the area of Tita Marilou’s place. We walked around but since it was a Sunday, pretty much everything was closed. We went back to the apartment for a bit then heard mass at a nearby church.

We’re having an early dinner now (at a place with free wifi) then calling it a night. I had some really delicious croquetas, one of the first things I've eaten in the past two days. FInally, authentic Spanish food! Anyway, we're done eating and heading home soon. Tomorrow we're off to Segovia!

(Internet's too slow to post some pics. Maybe in the next post!)

Almost there...

2011-04-30T22:22:00.002+02:00

Hello from Doha Airport's free internet hotspot. Hahaha. After an eight and a half hour flight (I think -- I'm wearing a watch for the first time and not used to it... okay, irrelevant) we are halfway there. Few more hours to go.

Angela says that this airport's ugly. Well, it is small, the downstairs is crowded with people. The upstairs is more spacious though, but at least it's clean. We have about two more hours to go for our flight to Madrid. Bye now!

Back to Spain!

2011-04-24T15:47:00.004+02:00

Well, hello there!

After nearly two years, I'm finally heading back to my beloved Spain. My sister Angela and I have finally saved up enough money and we're heading back to Europe for another adventure. We'll be visiting our other sister Isabel who is currently studying in Madrid (like what I did in Pamplona two years ago) and then touring parts of Spain we didn't get to see before. About a week after we arrive my brother Javier will join us, and hopefully our cousin Quintin will make it too!

Angela and I are leaving hot Manila on April 30 and we'll land in Madrid on the 1st of May. From Madrid we're going to take day trips to Segovia, Toledo, Salamanca and Avila. And we'll also visit Lisbon and Sintra (in Portugal) for about five days. After Portugal we're heading to Andalucia. We've both never been. I completely missed out on it when I was living way up north in Pamplona. We're visiting Sevilla, Cordoba, and Granada. (Sevilla and Granada are both on my Top 20 Places to Visit Before I Die list, so this should be a treat!) After Andalucia we're heading to Barcelona to spend Isabel's 19th birthday with my cousins who live in Barcelona. We'll take a day trip too to my uncle's restaurant in Roses and pray he treats us to some mouthwatering dishes. From Barcelona I head up north with the boys. Ange refuses to visit my beloved Pamplona again (she claims it's too boring) so she's flying to Paris to spend some time with a friend. I'll take the boys to Pamplona and we'll visit Bilbao and San Sebastian too. We head back home on the 28th, and hopefully we'll have had a great adventure.

So if anyone is reading this, stay tuned. I'll try my best to make this a sort of travel blog during my trip! :-)

Back home...

2009-06-25T16:14:00.001+02:00

A few weeks too late... but I'm back home. Home sweet home. :)

Torreciudad

2009-05-03T12:59:00.007+02:00

Since we had no classes on Friday, I went with a few friends to visit Torreciudad for the day. Torreciudad is a shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It's located in the north of Spain, about a 3 hour drive by car from Pamplona. Since the eleventh century, people have kept alive the custom of coming on pilgrimage to pray to Our Lady. The actual shrine was built under the guidance of the St. Josemaria Escriva and was inaugurated on July 7, 1975. He built the shrine out of his love for Mary and so that other people may come shore their love and receive spiritual miracles. He hoped for “the conversion and the peace of many souls.”

The story of St. Josemaria is that when he was two years old, he and his sisters fell seriously ill. His sisters died, but after much praying to the Virgin from his mother, St. Josemaria lived. Later on, his mother with his father brought him to Torreciudad (then just a tower, and a small hermitage) to give thanks to the Lady. Much later on, St. Josemaria decided to rebuild and construct a shrine to our Lady.

The Shrine of Our Lady

Torreciudad is a very beautiful place. The centre of Torreciudad is the Shrine of Our Lady. In the church, behind the altar, is The Reredos, composed of eight sculptural settings depicting the principal events of Our Lady’s life. It is most beautiful and I have picture, here:

Left column: top: Mary’s betrothal to St. Joseph, centre: the Annunciation, bottom: the Visitation
Right column: top: the Nativity/Adoration of the Shepherds, centre: the Flight to Egypt, bottom: the Workshop at Nazareth
Middle column: top: the Coronation, centre: the tabernacle and the Crucifixion of Our Lord, bottom: the original Romanesque carved statue of Our Lady of Torreciudad

To the right of the church is the Crypt. There are several chapels dedicated to Our Lady of Loreto, of Pilar and of Guadalupe. There also confessionals (40 to be exact) available to those who want to make confession. Then, there is a Gallery of Marian Devotions. This gallery contains replicas of Marian representations brought in pilgrimage from all over the world. I counted five from the Philippines: one from Cebu, one from Antipolo, one from Lipa, Batangas, one from Manila, and one more, which I can’t remember.

In front of the church is a huge esplanade big enough to house the plenty pilgrims that come on specific days. Actually, yesterday (2 May 2009) there was a celebration for Filipino pilgrims.

Along three coveed archways of the esplanade of Torreciudad are ceramic tiles depicting the four mysteries of the Holy Rosary. Each mystery has its own series of tableau for people to reflect on while praying the rosary.

Outside the walls, and a little down is a small tower from which the name of the place is derived as well as the hermitage which is the original shrine. For centuries it housed the statue of Our Lady until the new shrine was completed in 1975. Along the path there are also ceramic tiles representing the Seven Sorrows and Seven Joys of St. Joseph. Along another path are the Stations of the Cross.

The view walking down

The Tower

Winnifred and I

All of the architecture, ceramics, statues, everything really make Torreciudad a beautiful place dedicated to Our Lady.

Holy Week in Rome

2009-05-02T13:35:00.002+02:00

Way overdue but here it is. We left Pamplona for Rome on the 3^rd of April and as the bus pulled out of the parking lot we prepared ourselves for a 24-hour trip on the bus. I was part of the Larrabide group, we were ten: me, Larri, ShanShan, Marina, Emilia, Patri, Isabel, Elisa, Teresa and Clara. But we were part of a much larger group, which was composed of practically all the women in the University of Navarra (and from Pamplona) that were going to Rome.

We started the trip off with a prayer, of course, and then passed around some gummies. Bad idea; I ate too much and spent the next two hours with a stomach-ache. Fortunately, we stopped soon after that at a gas station in the border of France.

The trip went smoothly from there. We watched a film, I read a little, and stopped a few hours later for dinner. We watched another film afterwards but I fell asleep in the middle. When I woke up we were in Italy already! The hours passed by and the journey didn’t feel too tiring. We stopped one last time at another gas station for lunch. We arrived at our lodging a little after five. It was really one day of travelling!

The place that we were staying in was on the east of Rome, way opposite the Vatican. The buses that took us here stayed with us the whole time though. They brought us to the Vatican in the morning and back home in the evening. We had bought a one-week metro ticket so we could use the metro, bus, and tram throughout the day, throughout the week.

The UNIV

We were in Rome as UNIV participants. “UNIV is an international gathering of university students, which since 1968 the Institute for University Cooperation (ICU) sponsors in Rome. Each year, several thousand students spend Holy Week in Rome, profiting from the cultural and historical riches that the Eternal City has to offer. “

The congress itself is only two days and deals with matters relevant to the university. This year’s theme was “Universitas: Knowledge Without Limits.” We attended the congress on Wednesday, and it was interesting enough. Various students gave presentations on the University’s role in a pluralistic society. Marina and her friend, Marta, were chosen (beforehand) to do a presentation on an analysis of the ‘Rosa Blanca.’ Theirs was really good, and not being biased, the best. Aside from the congress, UNIV also provides us with an opportunity to see Rome and explore the pathways of Church history. So for the rest of the week, we were able to visit Churches, tour Rome, attend the masses in the Vatican, etc.

”The first UNIV encounters began thanks to the initiative and impulse of St. Josemaría (founder of Opus Dei). For the past four decades, scores of students and professors have expanded their cultural horizons through their contact with the international environment present in the heart of Christianity and thanks to the special audiences granted by Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI to the Univ participants.”

Opus Dei Gatherings

On Monday and Friday we were able to attend two ‘get-togethers’ with the Padre or Father of Opus Dei. He is the Bishop who is the head of the Opus Dei. It was a very casual talk and he imparted on me many enlightening things. Before the end of each talk, five pre-decided women were able to personally ask a question to the Father. (Due to Opus Dei practices, the get-togethers are separate for men and women.) They shared a short something on their lives and then asked their question. The Father then answered their question, but the audience was also able to take something from it. Though I am not a member of the Opus Dei, I was able to take something from these meetings, including a better understanding of this group.

In celebration of Holy Week

On Palm Sunday morning (which was also World Youth Day) we headed to St. Peter’s Square to attend mass. We weren’t able to get seats, but we were okay. The mass lasted until about twelve.

On Thursday we had mass, not at the Vatican, but at another church organized by the UNIV. After the mass we had pizza for dinner which we ate by the steps of a fountain in Piazza del Popolo. Afterwards we started our Visita Iglesia, the Christian tradition of visiting seven churches to worship Christ. It was a very beautiful night, and I actually enjoyed walking through the streets more at this time of the day.

On Good Friday, we first went to the Scala Santa (Holy Staircase). These steps are traditionally the steps Christ walked up on his way to trial before Pontius Pilate, and could only be ascended on the knees! These marble steps, which are now covered with wood to protect them, were brought to Rome by Saint Helena (mother of the Emperor Constantine) who dedicated her life to collecting relics from the Passion of Christ. It was a tough climb and I prayed the rosary with Patri and ShanShan while climbing up. For the evening we were able to get tickets for the mass inside the Basilica. This mass was kind of new to me, because I couldn’t remember this mass at all.

We didn’t do anything on Saturday afternoon so as not too tire ourselves out before the Easter Vigil. For the Easter Vigil we were again able to get tickets for the mass inside the Basilica. When the mass started, the lights of the church were turned off, save a few backlights from behind the statues. And during the Gloria part, when all the lights came on, it was beautiful. The celebration was really nice though I’ll admit I got sleepy during the Pope’s thirty-minute homily!

We were busy packing on Sunday afternoon so we attended mass at our lodging instead. Before we left for Pamplona, we passed by St. Peter’s Square to receive the final blessing from the Pope. As he ended, the Pope greeted Happy Easter to the people in many different languages including Tagalog; “Maligayang pagkabuhay ni Kristo!”

Audiences with the Pope

We had two audiences with the Pope. The first one we had was on Monday and was exclusively for the Spanish people, mainly because of the group from Madrid that was picking up the Cross for the World Youth Day which will next be held in Madrid in 2011. We arrived outside the gates at nine where we squeezed our way near the front and waited for nearly an hour. The security came at ten, and we were let in. There was a lot of running at this point, with the guards telling us to ‘Please, slow down!’ We would slow down our pace at their words but then start running again the moment we passed them. We made it inside the building and were able to get decent seats a few rows from the font. Once everyone had saved their seats with their bags, there was a rush to stand near the barriers of the aisle, in hopes of touching Pope Benedict’s hand as He passed. It was more long waiting, and as more Spanish people came, the atmosphere got more festive. There were musical chants, cheers and songs. After, well a very long time, one of the Bishops on the stage took the mike and announced that the Spanish people were rude and to return to our seats because the Pope would not pass by the aisle, except in nicer and longer words. In defeat, everyone settled down and went back to their seats. A minute later, in true Spanish fashion, the cheering resumed. But really, can you blame them? The Pope finally came in at 11 and there was much cheering. He started off his speech, but it must have taken him five minutes to say the first few sentences because the audience would clap and cheer after every pause.

The second audience we had with the Pope was a general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Wednesday. His message was mostly about preparing ourselves for the Holy Triduum. After the message which was in Italian, he went on to greet the German pilgrims in German, Spanish pilgrims in Spanish, French in French, English in English, then Italian in Italian.

Sightseeing and Churches

Our first sightseeing stop was the Coliseum which we visited on Sunday. After the Coliseum we stopped awhile at the Arco then headed in to the Foro Romano. The Foro Romano was really impressive! It’s hard to imagine that these ruins were once the centre of all busy-doings in Rome.

On Monday we visited the church Sta. Maria Maggiore. Befote going to the Opus Dei Get-together, we also passed by the Piazza del Popolo, and relaxed on the steps of Piazza Spagna.

We spent Tuesday morning in the Vatican City. First we visited the tombs of Pope John Paul II and St. Peter. Afterwards, we visited the Basilica itself, which took up a good deal of the morning. The Basilica was huge, much bigger than I imagined, and each niche and corner had its own interesting story.

We visited the Panteon before lunch then had lunch in Piazza Navona. We passed by two small, yet interesting, churches and then headed to the Trevi Fountain. We had our pictures taken then threw our coins in and made a wish.

On Wednesday we visited Santa Croce en Gerusalenne (Holy Cross in Jerusalem). This church was really interesting. It was built by the Emperor Constantine to house the relics from the passion that his mother Saint Helene had brought back from the Holy Land. Among the relics in the church are the tablet with the inscription “INRI,” a piece of the True Cross, one of the nails, two pieces of thorn from the ‘crown of thorns.’ Also there are a large slab of wood from the cross of the Good Thief and the finger of the Apostle Thomas, who upon his disbelief in the risen Christ, put his finger through the holes in Christ’s palm.

We also visited San Juan de Letran, which was a beautiful church and considered to be ‘the mother of all churches.’ It is the oldest and first of the four major basilicas of Rome.

We spent Thursday morning visiting the various Vatican Museums. After lunch, we walked around and stumbled upon a beautiful park and lake. Some took a boat ride on the lake, while I and the others rested. A little later it started to rain so we walked to the church where we would be hearing mass.

On Saturday morning we visited San Juan de Letran Extramuros. As its name states, the church was outside the walls of Rome. It was a huge and beautiful church. It is one of the four churches considered to be the great ancient basilicas of Rome. It was founded by Constantine I and is built over the burial place of Saint Paul.

All the churches had so much history and great stories behind them, that I can’t share it all here! Rome is really a wonderful city and well worth the trip.

Though I had visited Rome before in the summer, I had a much better trip this time around. I was more relaxed not having to plan out my itineraries or be the one to worry over the map. I learned so much more about Christian history, and all the churches I visited seemed more beautiful. Of course, it was Holy Week and it was much more spiritually rewarding, especially getting to see the Pope. Mostly, I had a great time because I was with my friends, just talking or laughing at the silliest things were enough to make me content. Along with eating pasta, pizza and gelatto, taking pictures, my UNIV experience in Rome was unforgettable.

Now to post up the pictures…

Happy Easter!

2009-04-15T18:42:00.002+02:00

Happy Easter to everyone!

How was your Holy Week? Mine was great. I spent an amazing week in Rome, but I'll blog about that another time.

In the meantime, here are photos from Valencia, but I have yet to get the ones from my cousin.

Las Fallas Festival

2009-03-25T20:04:00.005+01:00

I left Pamplona Monday evening at around 11 for Valencia. The bus ride was about seven hours, and I tried to sleep during most of it. We arrived in Valencia at 5:30, and it was pretty cold. My cousin Andie picked me up. I haven’t seen Andie in probably more ten years, as she lives in Spain, and it was good catching up. We drove to her place, and went to sleep.

I woke up at about nine, thanks to the loud firecrackers going off every five seconds. We had breakfast together, then I showered and changed, and met her husband, Miguel. At about eleven, we went out. Andie lives to the west, out of the center so we took a taxi to the Old Quarter, where all the craziness of the festival is.

The weather was surprisingly cool, since it was supposed to be warm, if not hot. It made walking through the crowd a whole lot bearable though. The first thing we did was eat! Churros and buñuelos with hot chocolate. Mmmm, so delicious. Then we started to walk about. The streets were jammed pack. While you’re moving, there are people coming at you from all directions. We just walked wherever. We passed by a few plazas (Plaza del Toros, Plaza de Ayuntamiento, Plaza de la Reina, Plaza de la Virgen). I saw many sights, including the Cathedral, the Market, and the Silk Exchange, but we weren’t able to visit inside. Walking around, we saw a lot of the statues, or ‘fallas,’ which is what the festival is mostly all about.

Where to begin in describing this crazy festival? Las Fallas literally means ‘The Fires’ in Valencian, a language similar to Catelan but with its own tweaks. Fallas can also refer to the statues themselves and each of the 350 communities Valencia is divided into. Las Fallas is actually a five-day festival, which culminates on the night of March 19, the feast day of St. Joseph (a holiday all over Spain, not only in Valencia).

The city is plagued with people, tourists and residents alike, immersing in the Valencian culture. Locals open shop on the streets, selling their paella, Valencian music is played everywhere, and the people dress in the traditional Valencian costume. There are plenty of activities going on, from bullfights, parades, paella contests, beauty pageants, food stalls, and street musicians and performers, to name a few.

The people enjoy setting off fireworks and petards anytime, anywhere. However there is one huge one that happens everyday, at exactly 2pm at the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, called themascletá. This one is not a visual enjoyment, just explosions. A string of fireworks are ignited, and it sounds like a really, really loud drum of a marching band going on for about ten minutes. The sky turns from clear blue to misty gray as smoke fills the air. At night, and even during the day, you are also sure to say many other firework shows.

Each falla-community has a Fallera Mayor, who is the Queen of the Falla for a year. Aside from each community having one, there is also one Fallera Mayor for the entire Valencia. She is the face of the festival; she presides on all major events, makes ritual visits to Valencian organizations, etc. This title is extremely prestigious and competition is fierce. There is also a Fallera Mayor Infantil, the Queen for the children.

Another event that takes place on March 17 and 18, is the offering of flowers in the Plaza de la Virgen. There is a pardae of music and people, as they line up to offer flowers to the statue of the Virgin, eventually covering her in flowers. The wallas and basilica around the plaza are also covered with flowers, and you can smell the carnations from far away. I was able to visit the plaza, and the small really was overwhelming.

Andie and I with the Virgin covered in flowers

The main focus of the festival are the statues or fallas that you can see all over the city. They are made up of several ninots (puppets or dolls), and are huge, measuring several stories tall. The inside is made of cardboard, wood, paper-machè and plaster, and is then sanded and painted with bold and striking colors. They are constructed carefully so that when they burn, they fall in a vertical manner. There is no official theme, but they are usually satirical and depict current events, poking fun at politician and Spanish celebrities. The construction of these ninots takes up almost the entire year and can cost up to 75,000 US dollars, and is funded by the respective communities. Each community builds two fallas: the main one and a children’s one, which is much smaller. Since there are 350 communities, there are 700 statues up for display all over Valencia.

Close up of a falla

The festival is also a competition of the fallas. Not all participate though. From the 350, there are 15 Fallas Especiales. These ones are more impressive, expensive and larger, and are made by the best artistas falleros. These 15 Fallas Especiales compete for the first prize. From the winning one, one ninot, the ninot indultat (the pardoned puppet), is spared, is displayed in the Fallas Museum, along with the previous winners.

They are up for display the whole week, until March 19, the day known as La Cremá (the burning). They don’t all burn at the same time though. The burning starts at about 10pm, starting with the Fallas Infantiles. The winning falla is burned second to the last, and the falla of the Plaza de Ayuntamiento the last. The bigger Fallas start burning at midnight. Like, the Falla Infantil, the winning Falla is burned second to the last, and the one of the Plaza de Ayuntamiento the last, at 1am. For the burning of the bigger ones (usually located in the main plazas), there are local firemen on the scene to prevent the surrounding buildings from getting burned.

I was able to see one Falla Infantil be burned, the one outside Andie’s apartment. At around 10, I heard a lot of noise outside. I looked out my window and realized that they were about to burn the falla. I grabbed my camera and watched from the balcony. I’m not sure about the bigger fallas, but the Falla Infantil is ignited by the Fallera Mayor of its particular community.

Falla infantil before

Falla infantil after

Back to my day. At around two, we started looking for a place to eat, but all the restaurant were packed. After walking a bit, we decided to head home first. At least we had merienda so we weren’t too hungry. Andie and Miguel got a list of restaurants and called them up, but every single one of them was full! So, we had a late lunch in a bar/restaurant near their place. The service was kind of weird, but the food was okay. I tried this appetizer called zamburiñas (a type of scallop) with squid, and I also tried octopus! It didn’t really have a weird taste, but it wasn’t super, super good either.

After lunch we went back home to have siesta. Hehe. I slept awhile and did some school work. We had dinner in the apartment, and then I watched the burning of a Falla Infantil from the balcony. After the burning, the children hold hands and walk around the ashes of the falla. (Though I have no idea why.)

At around 11 we headed back to the center to watch the burning of a Falla Especial. We didn’t go to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, but we went to one nearby. There were a lot of people, but we were able to stand somewhere in front of the Falla but a few meters away. The burning was incredible, really. Fireworks went off, and then the base was on fire. A few seconds later, the whole thing was burning. All I could really imagine was all the hard work and money that was burning together with the falla. To think that they spend a long time thinking, designing, and building the falla and it vanishes just like that. (Well, it takes about 20 minutes actually). But, it’s their tradition though it’s pretty crazy.

Fireworks...

...and it's burning.

We didn't stay long, only about 10 minutes. We headed back to the apartment, and just our luck, the falla nearby was only starting to be burned. So we stayed to watch it burn.

Falla before...

Falla after

The next day I met up with two of my friends from Pamplona (who are actually from Taiwan) and we visited the City of Arts and Sciences. The ‘city’, mostly designed by Santiago Calatrava, is composed of the ‘Hemesferic’ (Planetarium), the Principe Felipe Science Museum, the Oceanarium, the Reina Sofia Arts Palace, and the ‘Umbracle.’ Just walking around the complex is a treat, it has such a futuristic and awesome-ness atmosphere about it.

Me with L'Hemisferic and Palau de las Arts Reina Sofia in the background

L'Hemisferic by day

L’Hemisferic is a planetarium as well as an Imax theatre. We didn’t go watch a movie, nor visit the planetarium, but this is what it’s supposed to look like at night:

L'Hemisferic by night

It was built to resemble a huge eyeball, and apparently there are even steel and glass shutters operated by hydraulic lifts that allows the eye to ‘blink.’ Unfortunately, I only found out about this now, and wasn’t able to witness it.

The science museum, the centerpiece, was pretty cool, but I enjoyed other science museums a lot more. On the first floor, there was an exhibit with Superheroes, relating them with Science, which was the only part I really enjoyed. There were a few more hands-on exhibits, but nothing I haven’t seen before. The second floor was small, and about three scientists, which we, err… skipped. The third floor was mostly informative, though the exhibits were attractive. Nevertheless, we spent most of the morning here and had lunch at the cafeteria downstairs.

To get to the Oceanarium, which was about ten minutes away, we passed the Umbracle. I have no idea what it’s supposed to be, but it was a pretty walkway that was free so we passed through.

L’Oceanagrafico was amazing, and we spent the whole afternoon there. It is Europe’s biggest marina park and home to 500 species of fish and other sea creatures from every ocean of the world. The exhibits were divided into sections, like Mediterranean, Artic, Antarctic, etc. There really were a lot of other animals aside from fishes, like beluga whales, walruses, and penguins. Nothing new, but I still really enjoyed. There’s something about staring at marine life that gets me every time. We even watched a dolphin show, which never fails to bore me.

On Saturday I went to the beach with Andie and Miguel. As we drove to the coast, the city had a more beach-like atmosphere. The sun somehow seemed to be stronger, there were palm trees everywhere, and the buildings were not as tall and had a washed-out look about them. There were a lot of people on the beach, but nothing compared to the apparent summer crowd. Though it was cool, there were a lot of people dressed in bathing suits, and a few swimming. It was pretty beach, and we walked up and down the pier. It kind of reminded me of Santa Monica in the U.S., with people biking and rollerblading around, eating in the restaurants, or sunbathing. We had lunch in a restaurant called La Murciana, and of course, we had paella. We had to wait quite awhile, but it was extremely worth it! After lunch we had coffee then walked around some more.

In the evening we watched a movie at a nearby mall. Then, we had dinner at home and watched TV. I was pretty tired, so I went off to bed. The next morning, I took the bus back to Pamplona at 11am.

I had a great time visiting Valencia. I got to experience a day of Las Fallas, and visit the wonderful city. It’s a big but small city, with everything: the old quarter, cathedrals, museums, quiet zones, nice space to walk, and on the plus side, it has a beach.

P.S. The pictures of the Javierada are up for viewing.

A few pictures from the Javierada...

2009-03-18T11:25:00.003+01:00

I'm going to Valencia tonight so I won't be able to upload pictures from the Javeirada. But here are a few...

Some pilgrims on the side of the road.

Me with a background

Lunch break!
(L-R) Lorena (Valencia), ShanShan (China), Bea (Madrid), Carmen (Sevilla), Ofelia (Taiwan), Me

Woohoo! We've arrived outside Javier.

After the mass, with the castle of Javier in the background

Javierada 2009: Pilgrimage to Javier

2009-03-15T18:51:00.004+01:00

I woke up at about 7:30 on Saturday morning. I showered, dressed, and prepared my food for the day. Then Bea and I went down and met up with ShanShan and Carmen from the other apartments. We walked to the parroquia (parish church) together. There we met with two other girls, Ofelia and Lorena. There would be plenty of pilgrims from all over Navarra, and some parts of Spain, and the parroquia helped organize buses for us to take.

The complete pilgrimage is actually 50km, but we opted for option B: to ride the bus and then walk 23 km. There was also a third option, in which you only had to walk 5km. Anyway, by 9:00 everyone was in the bus, and ready to go. We prayed a little first and the priest explained about the Indulgence Plenary. Since it is the Pauline Year, the Pope has granted to the Archbishop of Navarra to grant the Plenary Indulgence to those who, aside from doing to the pilgrimage to Javier (birthplace of Saint Francis Xavier), 1) prayed for the Pope 2) went to mass and 3) confess your sins.

Half an hour later, we reached the point in which we would start walking. So, we got off the bus and started walking! The sun was out but not so strong, it was still pretty cool and we wore our jackets. We walked, talked and took pictures. About an hour later, it was getting hotter, and we removed our jackets. The walk wasn’t that difficult. We were walking on the side of the highway therefore the path was pretty smooth. It was also relatively flat, with no hills to climb. About two hours after we started, we stopped at a gas station to rest a bit and use the bathroom. After 15 minutes, we were up and on our way again. On the third hour I was getting pretty tired, and had stopped talking and taking pictures, just focusing on trying to put one foot in front of the other. We prayed the rosary for a while. The sun was stronger, and it was getting hotter.

The landscape was beautiful: green and clean. The further we walked, it turned into brown wastelands, the jungle, or industrial grounds. Along the roads since the beginning of the walk there were various Red Cross vans to help those in need, and police offers, to direct cars away from the travelers.

At a quarter to one, we stopped in front of Hotel Yamaguchi, with all the other pilgrims, for lunch. By then, we had walked 15km already. We stayed there for about an hour and half, eating and resting.

We started off again at 2, as we were walking we saw an ice cream van. I bought a cone for my dessert and ate it as we were walking. Further, there was also a car, giving away free water (sponsored by the local government of Navarra). The highway was heading into the mountains, the road curving and going up, but very, very gradually, nothing near steep. A little after an hour and a half later, I was getting pretty tired so we stopped to rest for a while. When we got up and started walking again we saw the castle of Javier in the distance. We only had about 20 minutes to walk and we arrived!

It was about four o'clock and we still had an hour before the mass. We rested a while and had a small snack. Then we looked for a nice spot to stay during the mass. After the mass, given by the Bishop of Navarra, we met up with the rest of the parroquia then walked back to the bus. It took awhile to get out, since there were a lot of buses, but I soon fell asleep and didn't wake up till we reached Pamplona.

Today my legs and hips hurt and I have a blister on my foot. I also got sunburned! I spent most of the day at home, partly because of the pain, but mostly because I had to finish a paper. I went out to go to confession and mass, and to blog! It was a pretty amazing experience though I did get very, very tired. Yes, I had fun, but I don’t see myself doing another pilgrimage in the near future. :-)

Pictures to follow!

The weather was so beautiful today, I couldn't help but write about it.

2009-03-13T19:16:00.004+01:00

Though it snowed last week here, today was very sunny (hopefully, for good). It was perfect weather; I was able to leave the house in a t-shirt and a light sweater. No more coats and scarves! By midday, there were more students outside than usual, lying on the green grass, basking under the sun. Though the sun was out, it wasn't very hot; it was still cool, about 11 degrees.

Though I was really excited to experience winter, I'm glad it's over. I enjoyed the cold and the snow, but I don't think I could live in such weather all year long. I'm enjoying the changing of seasons. I arrived in Europe during the heat of summer, but by the time I arrived in Pamplona, the heat was dying down. Autumn came, and the leaves were truly as pretty as I imagined. By the middle of Autumn I started wearing sweaters and then coats. Early winter arrived, and I added scarves, gloves, and boots to my daily wear. The whole winter I bundled up, dressing in more layers than ever. Late January was still cold and by February I could go out wearing one sweater plus a coat (save a few exceptionally cold nights). Now, it's finally warming up, and I'm excited for Spring!

Spanish is getting pretty difficult. I've had one partial exam though I have yet to find out my score. We finished learning how to conjugate and the uses of future and condiyional tenses. Right not we're learning a very funky tense called pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo (pluperfect subjunctive)!

Tomorrow, I'm going on a sort of pilgrimage to Javier. I will write more about it over the weekend, but know this: I'm going to be walking 25k!

An update...

2009-03-10T18:55:00.002+01:00

I’ve had to get out my hat and gloves last Thursday because it SNOWED in Pamplona. Snowing in March: proof of Pamplona’s weird weather. I enjoyed the snow for a while, but having no umbrella, I got pretty much soaked and cold.

Other than that, everything’s been pretty tranquil here. For the second semester, I’ve enrolled in five courses: Spanish II, Spanish Linguistics, Introduction to Global Communication, International Relations, and French.

My Spanish Grammar and Linguistics class are pretty much like the ones I had last semester. In Spanish there are two translations for the verb “to be”: ser and estar. What’s interesting is that there are some adjectives that change meaning when you use them with the other verb. For example, ser lista means to be smart, while estar lista means to be ready. And the list goes on and on… It’s actually pretty interesting though I do get confused sometimes because I just go with the one that sounds right.

International Relations I have in Spanish and it’s pretty hard. I take it with Maria (from the apartment across) and she helps me study and keep up with the class. It’s interesting though and I’m getting better at understanding what the professor is saying.

The Introduction to Global Communication course just started, as opposed to the others, which started in February. It’s English and I like it though I already have a test next Friday and a short paper due on Thursday.

French I’m finding harder to take in that Spanish. I also take it extensively (twice a week) and I don’t speak it everyday so it’s harder to learn. The pronunciation I also find difficult to remember, since Spanish words are pretty much pronounce-as-you-read-it. What’s funny though is that I’m learning French in Spanish. The teacher speaks in Spanish, and I take notes and translate in Spanish.

2009-02-12T12:20:00.004+01:00

I've gotten back into the rhythm of life here. When I arrived back from Milan, I had an intensive Spanish course that started the next day. I was busy with that plus the final essay I had to write for one of my courses. That took up about all of my time, and for two weeks I was always busy writing or studying.

One weekend, I went with some girls from Larrabide to a small town on the outskirts of Pamplona. It was less than half an hour away, and there were nine of us to be living together. It was called a Convivencia de Estudio. Being away from the city and in a more studious atmosphere helped me study and concentrate, and I was able to write most of my paper here.

The next week I had a short vacation before classes were to start again. Last weekend I visited my cousins in Barcelona. I left Pamplona Friday morning and arrived in Barcelona in the afternoon. I had a late lunch then went to watch my cousin Maya's dance show. She dances Contemporary, and it was a good show. Afterwards, she invited me to stay and watch the expositions of Spanish Dance. I did, and the show was spectacular. There was never a boring moment (except one girl's dance solo). The movement and grace of the dancers was so amazing and beautiful. The second part was very interesting, with a live guitarist and singer.

The next morning I headed to Roses with my other cousin Julie and her boyfriend Pol. We took the train to Figueres and from there drove to my uncle's restaurant. The weather there was beautiful, cold and windy. I spent the rest of the day just chilling and eating. In the evening I went to the cinema with Julie and Pol and we watched Seven Pounds (called Seven Souls here in Spain), and I understood most of it.

The next morning I took the train back to Barcelona, hung out with Maya before taking the bus back to Pamplona.

When I was gone, it had snowed in Pamplona! It has snown a few times before, but this time the snow was really strong, and enough to blanket the ground. I was sad to have missed it.

This week I had to take a placement exam for the second semester Spanish courses. I missed my class on Tuesday having overslept for the first time! Tomorrow, I have classes again. Then next week, the regular university classes start again and I'll be busier. For the second semester I will be taking five classes: Español II, Lingüística (in Spanish), Relaciones Internacionales (in Spanish), Introduction to Global Communication (in English), and finally French!

The Crazy Christmas Holiday

2009-02-05T23:47:00.000+01:00

This is way overdue, but no excuses, I'll just get right to it. I've had quite a crazy holiday, filled with Spanish Christmas traditions and delayed train rides in Italy.

I left Pamplona on the 19th, and took the bus to Barcelona. It was a long bus ride and I arrived at around midnight. My cousin Maya picked me up and we took the taxi to their new apartment. It was much bigger than their old one, and really nice. The next day I spent with Julie. Day being around 5pm. I woke up at about 11, and my cousins, who love to sleep even more than me, woke up even later. We had breakfast, then they started cleaning up the apartment since their mom would be coming later in the evening. After cleaning up and showering we had lunch, and then we went out to start our "day". I helped Julie with last minute Christmas shopping for our cousins back in the Philippies. Barcelona was steaming with people, but instead of disgruntled and harassed shoppers, it was much nicer in the holiday spirit. Christmas lights were everywhere, and the people on the street were smiling and friendly, wishing merry christmas to the friends they spotted. Tito Johnny and Tita Patricia arrived later in the evening, and we ate out for dinner. We ate at a restaurant and had a 7-course meal. The courses were tiny of course, but still, it was something else.

My relatives left for Manila the next day while I headed off to Girona, some two hours from Barcelona. I spent a few days with Maria, a friend, and her family. We walked around Girona and just chilled about in her house or went out with her friends.

I arrived at Miranda de Ebro on the 24th, in time to celebrate Christmas Eve with Marina's family. I arrived just in time for lunch, and met the family: her parents, her three brothers and two sisters. She has one more brother but he's in Rome. I passed the afternoon playing Spanish card games and board games. Spanish cards are different, with cups, gold, clubs and swords instead of spades, hearts, clubs, and diamonds. Another thing is that most Spanish cards games don't use the 8's or the 9's. Which got me wondering why they still include them in the deck.

In the evening we had our Nochebuena meal. A variety of pinchos followed by lamb. Then at midnight we attended the Misa de Gallo. What surprised me was the number of people in mass, there were no more than 40. I have always thought that Spain was a super Catholic country, so it surprised me a little. The church was a small church though, but compared to the Midnight Mass I remember in Manila, it was a big change. After mass, we had some tapas and drinks with the other churchgoers.

On Christmas day we went to mass again, and people kept dropping by their apartment to wish greetings. They gave me a few gifts, and I gave them the Magic Sing (Karaoke mike). They started singing immediately, and it was really funny to watch. Once, a Tagalog song came up, and in their attempt to sing it, I almost died of laughter.

The next few days passed by quickly. I had a great time with Marina's family, they were very kind and extremely funny. Marina has six brothers and sisters, so including her parents, that makes them nine in the family. Their house is an apartment, a not a very big one at that. They had three bedrooms (parents, girls, and boys), two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room which also served as the dining room. Coming from the Philippines, where we all live in houses, I could not possibly imagine how they could live here. Yet as the days passed, I got used to it. The apartment may have been small, but it sure was cozy. We'd pass the afternoons in the living room, sitting around, talking, reading, playing cards, or board games. Then perhaps go out for two hours or so, walking around.

We went out of the city a few times. I visited Vitoria, capital city of one of the three provinces of the Pais Vasco. A small but pretty city richly adorned with decorations. As we were walking I spotted this, which really looked like a child about to fall off the apartment balcony.

What it really is Olentzero, the Basque version of Santa Claus, "trying to climb in the apartment."

Another day we visited Burgos, the city itself, where Marina's relatives live. (Burgos is the name of the Region and of the city.) We visited her grandmother and two aunts, and walked around the city after. I probably say this about every Spanish city I visit but, Burgos is beautiful. It really, really is. The city has such an olden and authentic atmosphere and it really feels like I'm transported back in time.

Nochevieja (New Year's Eve) itself is spent with the family. Our Nochevieja meal was the same as our Nochebuena. Several appetizers followed by the main course of lamb. After dinner we sat in the living room and turned on the TV to watch the celebration in Madrid. The great Nochevieja celebration takes place in the Puerta del Sol of Madrid, where practically the whole city comes to eat grapes and drink champagne at midnight. The rest of the Spaniards follow this ritual by television.

As the clock strikes midnight, with each toll of the bell we popped one of the twelve grapes in our mouths. One grape for each month, to bring good luck for the new year. It is not an easy feat, but I guess one the Spanish have mastered. I was only able to stuff 10 in my mouth, partly because my mouth was full, partly because I chewed too slow, and partly because I was laughing at Marina. Now if I had to pop twelve chocolate balls in my mouth, that would be a different matter.

After 1am the new year is spent with friends. The citizens dress up and head to the old part of the city where there is an abundance of bars and discos. The bars are located on the narrow streets off the main road, made even narrower by the people crammed into them. Marina and I headed back home near 5 in the morning (I think), and we were one of the first of her friends to go home.

I had a really great time and come the 2nd of January, I was sad to leave.

I headed back to Girona and spent the night with Maria again in order to catch my flight the next morning. The next morning I arrived at the airport early enough, checked in and everything. And my flight was delayed half an hour... then and hour... then two. I ended up having to wait three hours! I finally landed in Milan, and had to wait for the next train to San Remo which was in two hours. When I finally arrived in my hotel in San Remo, I dropped dead on my bed.

I spent the next three days with Marielle, one of my classmates from the Philippines, in San Remo. It was fun hanging out with her, walking up and down (and up and down) the streets of San Remo, taking random pictures, making kwento, and comparing Spanish and Italian grammar.

On the 7th I left for Venice, and had a very hassle day! To get to Venice I had to stop over in Milan. As we neared Milan, I noticed the train was lagging behind and we were more than a few minutes behind schedule. I was really worried because I had to catch my train to Venice. Apparently, there was a somewhat snowstorm in Milan, and the city was covered in snow. As were the railtracks and so it took the train a long time to enter the station. The train finally stopped and I checked my phone; I had ten minutes to change trains. Then another problem came up: for some weird reason the doors to our compartment wouldn't open. I and the rest of the people in the coach were walking up and down the train looking for a way out. I now had five minutes to change trains and I was beginning to really panic. We finally got out, and I rushed to the screens to check which platform my train was leaving from. I guess I shouldn't have worried because all the trains were delayed! I managed to find a spot near the tv screens where I could sit and read. The train station was crowded with people and their luggages, everyone waiting for their train. About two hours later, the platform for my train finally appeared on the screen and since it was freezing cold, I went to sit in the train. But it wasn't until another two hours later did the train finally leave. A total of having to wait four hours! I finally arrived in Venice at around nine in the evening. I took the vaporetto, got of at the Rialto stop, and was able to find my hotel without much difficulty.

Venice was beautiful. I've seen a lot of pictures and heard a lot about Venice, but really seeing it was truly something else. I was really amazed with the Grand Canal, and the perfectly systemized water transportation. Not all streets were as narrow as I imagined but it did feel like I was walking through a maze. Surprisingly, I didn’t get lost in Venice! As I was planning my itinerary I actually allotted time for getting lost, but since I didn’t spend much time lost, I was able to see many more things.

It also snowed in Venice, and I was really amazed by the snow. The wind was also so strong that my umbrella was useless since it was blown inside out. I didn’t mind the snow falling on me though. At one point I was just standing in the middle of St. Mark’s square staring up at the snow falling. I’m sure I must have looked a little weird.

I was able to visit St. Mark’s Basilica, the Ducale Palace, the Academy Gallery, Santa Margherita Church, and a few other churches, museums, and square. I was actually pretty content though just sitting on the vaporetto (water bus) cruising up and down the Grand Canal.

I left on the ninth to visit a friend in Trento. (Again another delayed train). I had a great weekend with her. On Sunday we went to the city of Merano to go to a water spa. It was really awesome because it was a heated pool, pretty relaxing for the cold day.

Then on Monday, I headed to Milan to visit the Montinolas, family friends from the Philippines. While I passed Milan numerous times to change trains or go to the airport, this was actually my first time to see the city. I enjoyed Milan, it was my relaxing stage. I woke up late, went out in the afternoons, saw Milan with Tito Johnny and Tita Karen, made kwento with Alexa, watched Julianna bake a cake, played Wii with Marki (I won one game.) I loved the weather in Milan, and there was snow everywhere! It was a pretty white picture, though it did remind me that snow could be dangerous, especially when it's like ice. It was cold, but with the sun out, it made perfect weather for walking around.

I left Milan early Sunday morning, arrived in Girona, took a bus to Barcelona, crashed in my cousins' apartment for a few hours, then finally took a six hour bus back to Pamplona. Traveling the whole day sure is tiring, and I was ready for a good dinner and a twelve-hour sleep.

While traveling is fun, there's nothing like the comfort of home. Home sweet home.

P.S. I'll upload the pictures another time.

¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!

2008-12-18T12:10:00.003+01:00

It's been quite a busy week.

Sunday evening, the Larrabide pisos had our Christmas dinner. It was a short but fun evening. We had pinchos for dinner, talking and laughing, a toast to the new year followed by Christmas carols. Then Wednesday evening another Christmas dinner, in Larrabide this time, with all the other girls

Monday I had my first exam, Uso Comuicativo. It was ten minutes only (talking and talking). I was pretty nervous but I think it went fine. I studied most the whole afternoon for my exams the next day. Tuesday I had my Spanish and Literature exam then spent the afternoon studying again. Yesterday I had my last exams, Redacción and Cultura. Redacción was probably my hardest and I had to think a lot, but everything's all done and I'm receiving my grades later this afternoon!

I still have one class today though and another tomorrow. And in between writing Christmas cards, packing, and finalizing my Christmas plans, I barely have time to do anything else.

Tomorrow I leave for Barcelona to visit my cousins, then to Girona to visit María. I'm spending Christmas and New Year with my flatmate Marina. Then in January I'm off to Italy to visit Marielle, Elena, and the Montinolas.

I'm really going to miss Christmas in the Philippines this year (especially since all you cousins are going to be home!), but at the same time I'm looking forward to a new Christmas experience, and snow!

Just in case I don't get to go back online and post a new entry:

Merry Merry Christmas to everyone! Wishing you all the best this season and the coming 2009.
Lots of love from Spain,
Sofia

Listen to the Villancicos

2008-12-13T13:09:00.004+01:00

I made a mistake in my previous entry. The Faculty of Medicine was the Student Body's pick and Colegio Mayor Ayete was the one that one first prize. (Faculty of Communication came in second place and Belagua Fase I in third).

The contest was also transmitted through the University's Radio Station 98.3. They have in their website all the contestant's songs and you can listen to them here: http://unav.es/98.3/noticias/08/12/081211.ht m. Ours is there too, Club Larrabide.

You can also see pictures of various groups here: http://www.unav.es/noticias/121208-12.html.

Concurso de Villancicos

2008-12-12T16:22:00.004+01:00

Every year the University holds a Concurso de Villancicos (Christmas Carols Contest), organized by the Department of Cultural Activities and the student body with the collaboration of UAS, Universitarios por la Ayuda Social (Social Help). This year is the 21^st time it is being held, and it was held yesterday. Every year the UAS also has a "Campaña del Kilo" (Kilo Campaign), and in ties with the UAS, each participant must contribute one kilo of any food to the campaign.

Students from the University of Navarra can join. All the groups though were either Colegio Mayores (University Residences kind of like dorms), Faculties (like the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Communication), or University Clubs (like us, Larrabide).

Basically, each group had to present a Carol; it could be traditional, adapted, or original, so long as the lyrics had a Christmas character. The judges would pick three winners while the Student Body picks a fourth. The judging was based on the musical and literary quality, the vocal and instrumental level, as well as the adequacy of the stage use.

The past week, we’ve been practicing our villancico. The lyrics were written by Marina, to the music of Inmortal, a song by a popular Spanish group La Oreja de van Gogh (The ear of Van Gogh). You can listen to the music here.

It’s actually a really nice song so I want to share with you the lyrics:

En un pueblo pequeñito lleno de turistas y de vendedores
Viene una muchacha con un Niño en brazos temblando de frío y sueño
Y el hombre con una sonrisa me mira a los ojos y pide cobijo
Esta ya está lleno, no queda ni un solo sitio

Después los aldeanos vinieron anunciando
Que todos los pastores han ido a adorarlo

Estribillo:
Iré a Belen, iré a portal, iré con todos los que pueda encontrar
A ver al Niño a cantar y a jugar
Con una estrella co nos guié hasta allá
Igual no es mucho lo que puedes llevar
Pero no importa le bastamos los dos
Es Navidad, celébralo conmigo

Una cueva en las afueras, casa de animals, techo ante tormentas
Allé veo a la familia que por bienvenida recibe descaro
Pero al mirar esos ojitos llenos de consuelo y tierno cariño
Supe que mi corazón estaba ya prendido

Y allí yo me quede, jugando con el Niño
Que grande fue su amor y que pequeño el mío. Estrebillo

And a vague translation:

In a tiny town filled with tourists and vendors
Came a girl with a Child in her arms, trembling with cold and weariness
And the man with a smile, looks in my eyes and asks for shelter
This is already filled, there is not one site

After, the villagers came announcing
That all the pastors have gone to worship him

I will go to the belen, I will go to the portal, I will go with everybody I can find
To see the Child, to sing and to play
With a star to guide us there
There is not much that we can bring
But it doesn’t matter, the two of us is enough
It’s Christmas, celebrate with me

A cave on the outskirts, a house of animals, shelter before storms
There I see the family who for a welcome receive audacity (?)
But I look at those little eyes filled with consolation and tender affection
(I can't translate this line properly. Will update.)

And there I will be, playing with the Child
How great was His love, and how small mine

The contest was a really fun event. Even though I didn’t understand the lyrics of any song, it was enjoyable to watch, as well as cheer and clap along with the crowd. It was really nice to see the students enthusiastically participate in this event. I was told that the Belagua dorms get really competitive and go into great lengths to come up with a nice number.

Some groups were pretty solemn while other groups were very imaginative. There was one group that did a number with cowboys (though it was pretty funny). Some used traditional Christmas carols while others used international songs like All Star and Mamma Mia! Most everyone had a sort of costume. Some groups dressed up uniformly, some had a theme, and some went totally into it. One of the Belagua dorms had the boys dressed up in shepherd’s clothing with a headgear, and they had human sized cutouts of trees (7 palm trees and a cactus) that danced in the background. One of my favorite numbers had 6 boys wearing blue suits, white top hats, and canes. Some groups had simple choreography while other groups showed off their dance skills. Some groups had no props while some had the trees, umbrellas (which took place in a really nice choreographed routine), and even firecrackers!

The winners were the Faculty of Medicine, Colegio Mayor Belagua Fase 1, and the Faculty of Communication, with the Student Body choosing “A ti la Gloria” by the Colegio Mayor Ayete. Colegio Mayor Ayete performed their number again after winning and I was able to video theirs.

Click here!

It was a really great event, and I’m glad I participated in it (though we all know how good my singing skills really are).

I have my exams next week but I'll try to find more videos and pictures to share with you.

A few random thoughts...

2008-12-10T16:52:00.003+01:00

Recently, we've celebrated quite a number of fiestas in Pamplona:

November 29- San Saturnino
December 3- San Francisco de Javier
December 6- Spanish Constitution
December 8-Immaculate Concepcion

After the fiestas of San Saturnino and San Francisco, I got interested in knowing more about them. San Saturnino is the patron saint of Pamplona, along with San Fermin (whose fiesta is celebrated by the popular running of the bulls). San Francisco de Javier on the other hand is the patron saint of Navarra. But as to why these people are the patron saints of these places, I have yet to find out. I also found out that Saint James the Great is the patron saint of Spain, as well as the Virgin of Pilar. The Virgin of Pilar is also the patroness of Zaragoza in particular, but her feast day is celebrated all over Spain.

I’ve been dumped with work this whole week. Last week I had to hand in my Literature paper, my European Media Culture Abstract, and then on Friday I had to present my Exposition for my Uso class. After those were over I spent the weekend working on my Cultura Commentary. Now that it's done, I have to start studying for my exams next week. I really can't wait for the Christmas break!

Rocio came back from her Asian travels last Monday and on Sunday she invited me to have lunch at Larrabide. A Filipino lunch! We had nagaraya, calamnsi juice, adobo, and dried mango! A real treat. :)

And it still hasn't snowed though Marina assured me that I will freeze in Burgos when I spend Christmas with her.

One more thing. Remember the Olimpiada Solidaria? It ended on the 5th of December. I'm not sure how much was raised overall but Larrabide was able to study 777.5 hours!

San Miguel... a month ago!

2008-12-02T17:01:00.004+01:00

I totally forgot to blog about San Miguel, I only remembered yesterday when I got the pictures from Winifred.

I go to mass everyday at a Parroquia nearby home. One Sunday each month, the Parroquia has a Youth Mass (Misa de Jovenes). The mass is celebrated with intentions for the youth, there is a youth choir, the reading are read by Catholic school students, etc. In October's youth mass, after the mass, an announcement was made asking for volunteers to help monitor kids for an excursion that the Parroquia is planning. Maria asked Winifred and I if we wanted to volunteer, and we said okay.

Next Sunday we woke up early, met up with the others and went to the bus stop. Where I saw about a hundred kids! I didn't realize that it would be that many. These were the kids taking Catholic lessons at the Parroquias, but apparently, this excursion was for all the Parroquias in Navarra.

We took the bus to San Miguel, a city about 30-minutes from Pamplona. The ride went by even faster with the kids singing songs. We reached the site, and I saw even more kids. We crammed into a small church and heard mass. After the mass they showed a clip from the first Narnia movie, s0mething to do with later's activity.

Afterwards we took the bus again and transferred to another site. We had merienda and the monitors were briefed about what was going to happen. The kids were divided into groups, about ten to a group, and we would be going trekking in the mountains. Along the way were about five stations in which they had to complete the task. We started, with two groups going in at the time. I was in charge of a group which went with Maria's group. After awhile though we had to split up, and fortunately, I managed to control the kids with what Spanish I knew.

The activity itself was really fun though. In each station, the station masters were dressed as characters from Narnia and it was pretty cute. Along the way there were also some guys dressed as some evil Narnian creatures (no idea what they really were) who would capture the kids, scare them, stuff like that. In one station, there was this jester who tied up members of the losing team.

After about an hour, we transfered to yet another site and had lunch picnic style. Really pretty view, and not too cold weather. The kids had confession next and listened to some talk, but Winifred, Maria, and I sneaked out to talk.

It was a pretty fun day, met some new people as well.

Pictures here!

Photos update!

2008-12-02T14:02:00.004+01:00

So I finally figured out how to work Picassa, and it's much simpler and faster than Flickr. and with a bigger limit too, so I'll be using that instead. The link is:

http://picasaweb.google.es/sofiainspain.pictures

Sorry if there's any confusion!

Carmen's Despedida

2008-12-01T16:34:00.003+01:00

Carmen, one of the girls from the Larrabide pisos, is moving to Madrid because she found work there. To celebrate, we had a despedida for her last Saturday night. We dressed up in red and white (colors of San Fermin, patron saint of Pamplona) and had pinchos at her apartment. After eating, we were just talking then someone started playing music. Next thing we knew we were dancing until about 2am in the morning.

I'm really going to miss Carmen, especially since I just got to know her.

One thing (among the many) that I like about the University of Navarra, is that it's Catholic. There are chapels in all the buildings, stuff like that. Right now there is a Novena for the Immaculate Concepcion. Starting yesterday and until the 8th of December, there is mass at the gym. It's a really nice event, there is a beautiful choir, and a lot of students, professors, and staff attend.

It's still not yet snowing but it managed to drop down to -4 degrees. Coldest yet!

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAN!!! :)

Not yet snowing...

2008-11-24T17:28:00.002+01:00

It's not yet snowing over here but it's supposed to start snowing this week! I'm so excited but I'm not sure if I'll freeze or not. It's pretty cold though now and it's also raining which makes it extra cold.

Classes are great and I think I'm really getting the hang of Spanish. I can basically understand pretty much the whole class and I don't even need to open my dictionary anymore.

Photos!

2008-11-22T18:59:00.002+01:00

Here's a link to my photos. Only problem is there's a 100mb limit, so I was only able to post the pictures of Angelo, Roberto, and Tala's stay here.

The site is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sofiainspain

I'm still trying to get the hang of it, but I think the easiest thing to do is click on sets, and then you'll see all the pictures combined in an album.

Last week & My birthday + Olimpiada Solidaria

2008-11-18T17:29:00.005+01:00

Last week was a pretty hectic week, and I didn’t find much time to blog. By Thursday, I had to have read the prologue and Chapter 1 of El Quijote for my Literature class. On on Friday I had a Redacción Exam, a presentation about El Camino de Santiago, and a paper to hand in about the current law of tabaco in Spain.

Needless to say, I spent the whole week researching, studying, preparing, reading, and staying up late. Come Thursday, Literature class went pretty well and I was able to understand what I was reading. The Redacción Exam was pretty hard, and I handed my exam in five minutes before time was up. I was so nervous during the start of the presentation that I completely forgot the history and origin, but thankfully, everything else went well. But at least now, that’s all done!

Saturday morning I woke up late. I went to mass then headed to the train station to pick up Julie and Maya. Julie and Maya are my cousins from Barcelona who came the weekend to celebrate my birthday! I was really happy to see them and they told me that my Spanish is really good which made me even happier.

We went to book a room at the hostel first then had lunch at a nearby restaurant with Marina. Afterwards we walked around the university with Marina playing tour guide. I showed them the apartment next then we headed to the commercial center. We saw Plaza del Castilla and the Encierro statue then went shopping. After walking around we had merienda at a café, which we later realized was the same restaurant we had lunch in!

There was a dinner in Larrabide for ShanShan and me, whose birthday is also November 16. ShanShan’s Chinese, and the dinner was Chinese styled. We had rice and stir fried beef as well as soy sauce, which I was really craving for.

On Sunday I had breakfast with Julie and Maya then we walked around Yamaguchi Park taking pictures and making kwento. I brought them to the station and they caught the 12:30 train back to Barcelona. I really enjoyed having my cousins around, and it made my birthday a greater day.

And then my mom called me from my grandmother's house and I spoke with my siblings, cousins, and lola. It was really funny because I couldn't really hear well and I kept mistaking what they were saying. But all in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable phone call (the longest one I've ever received) and I realized that I miss you guys more than I thought I did.

For lunch, I ate out with Bea, Marina, and Maria at Shamrock’s. Good food and even better dessert! After lunch we went to ShanShan’s apartment and had coffee with the other girls.

Then Maria and I watched High School Musical 3! It was pretty funny because all the other people in the theatre were ten year old girls and (about three boys) and their parents. But still. The songs were still in English and I quite enjoyed the movie. Okay, I enjoyed it a lot. I was the only one clapping and cheering at the end.

We went to mass after then for dinner I had a surprise of a sort of chocolate pudding and good company. A really great weekend, and I enjoyed my birthday.

Thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday! :)

(Pictures to follow when my cousins send me the pictures and when Ange tells me how to upload the few pictures I have from my camera. I forgot to put in the memory card and so the pictures are stuck in the internal memory.)

By the time Monday came around, I was glad that everything had settled down, and I'd finally be able to get some sleep. As well as siesta after lunch! Bu then I found out in class on Monday that we were to have a Spanish Partial Exam the next day and then I remembered that I also had to read Chapters 2,3 and 4 of El Quijote, as well. So it was 'Goodbye, siesta and hello, studying!'

But a positive thing about studying (I mean, aside from the fact that you'll get higher marks when you study): a sort-of-oraganization, Olimpiada Solidaria. La Olimpiada Solidaria de Estuido is an "innovative action for the development of education and awareness of solidarity." It was created by a Spanish NGO in 2003, and aims to finance and create educational projects in specific countries (the countries change every year).

This year is the sixth year it is being done, and it lasts from November 5 to December 5. For every one hour you study, one euro will be donated by the sponsors to finance the educational projects in Ecuador, Cameroon, Haiti, and Angola.

There are specified study places that are affiliated with the organization and Larrabide is one. The Olimpiada Solidaria is also done in a few other European countries.

So while I’m studying, I’m also helping another child receive an education. How cool is that?

For more information, you can visit: olimpiada solidaria de estudio.

Post coming soon...

2008-11-17T16:56:00.002+01:00

Hey everybody,

Yes, I'm still alive. And happy, and safe, and sane, and well, and fine, and nineteen!
It's been a busy week and weekend and I'll be blogging as soon as I get the chance.

Lots of love,
Sofia

ILCE Excursion

2008-11-06T17:07:00.005+01:00

Yesterday, I and the rest of the ILCE students went on an excursion to Olite, Javier, and Leyre, cities in Navarra.

The past few days it had been raining, but yesterday morning it was bright and sunny. Our first stop was to Olite, some 30 minutes away. The city was very pretty. It was old and medieval like and I couldn't stop taking pictures. We visited the Royal Palace where we had a guided tour then had about an hour free time.

Olite, beautiful city.

The palace.

Isabel (Switzerland) and I outside the palace.

The Queen's garden. So pretty!

Patricia, Me, Isabel

With Winifred now.

After Olite, we took the bus to Javier! It is famous mainly for being the town where St. Francis Xavier was born. It was a small city with nothing much to see. We had lunch then walked around a bit. I found the Castle very pretty although we weren't allowed inside. Another pretty sight was the church.

Look Javier, I'm in Javier!

Beautiful Church entrance.

We headed to Leyre next. It began to rain but fortunately this was our last stop. We took a tour of the monastery and I bought some pasteles to finish off the trip!

Church entrance.

Close up.

We were lucky we were out on an excursion today. The Edificio Central, where all the ILCE classes are, was being cleaned (because of the fire and the bombing) but some of the materials used were toxic. Later in the afternoon, practically everyone who was in the building had to go to the hospital because they had problems with their breathing and other things.

As of now, all classes held in the Edificio Central are cancelled. Today, I only had one class!

It's nearing winter time... (+Pictures)

2008-11-01T20:24:00.008+01:00

Welcome to winter time in Spain, where a scarf is not merely an accessory but something you wrap around your neck to keep you from freezing and when you wear three layers of coats not caring if it makes you look fat, so long as your warm (and I’m still not). Gloves keep your hands warm and your skin from cracking, and boots are a must if you want to feel your toes.

It’s getting really cold here. Really, really cold. And it's not even winter, winter yet. It scares me to think, if I feel cold now, what more when winter really comes. Another thing is that the sun is starting to rise later than usual. It's harder to wake up in the morning and I get so tempted to go back to sleep.

Other than that, everything else has been great. Classes are getting a little harder, and I’m forced to think and study. I have a vocabulary test tomorrow, which I should be studying for right now.

Halloween here is nonexistent. Especially compared to the Philippines where everyone dresses up and eats lots of candy. Friday morning I went to school as usual, went to mass, studied and did my homework. Later on, I looked at pictures of my family and friends celebrating Halloween and it made me miss home. It made me miss candy too, so on my way home I bought some to eat. :)

Some pictures from Angelo, Roberto, and Tala’s visit:

Roberto, Me, Tala, Angelo, Maria after dinner the first night.

Roberto, Angelo, Me waiting for the metro in Bilbao.

Tala, Angelo, and Roberto outside the Guggenheim.

Tala and I with the tulips at the Guggenheim.

Me, Angelo, and Roberto in Bilbao.

Tala and I in Bilbao.

Angelo and Tala in San Sebastian.

It was very cold...

...but the beach was still a sight to see!

There were some crazy people swimming too.

Back in Pamplona, still raining!

Who's next to visit? :)

And this is a picture of Maria and Marina just because they wanted to be in my blog. Marina is my flatmate and Maria lives in the apartment across ours. Sunday night Marina and I had dinner with Maria while watching Mamma Mia! en español. (Songs still in English).

Maria, Me, Marina

Look who came to visit!: Angelo, Robero and Tala

2008-11-01T19:39:00.001+01:00

Angelo, Roberto and Tala were here for two days to come see Pamplona and me. It was great having them around; I enjoyed the Filipino company (and two days off from school).

They arrived on Monday night. I took the bus to the train station to pick them up. It was raining and we took a taxi to their hostel. Their hostel was pretty nice, and about a 15-minute walk to my apartment. We chilled awhile in their room then walked to my apartment. It was cold and they had a cup of hot chocolate before leaving. We had dinner at a nearby bar with two of my friends, Maria and Winifred.

On Tuesday we took a daytrip to Bilbao. We went to the bus station early to buy our tickets then had lunch at the café. It was a long two hour trip and we slept most of the way. When we arrived in Bilbao, it was raining pretty hard. We took the metro and decided to see the Guggenheim first. I had already been in the Guggenheim with my parents, but still, I couldn’t help admiring the building all over again. Another thing was that the temporary exhibit had changed, so I was also seeing something new. By the time we finished the museum the rain had subsided. We had a big lunch at a nearby restaurant. Afterwards we still had about two hours 'til our bus so we took the metro to the Casco Viejo (Old Town). We walked around, had dessert, and saw the pretty sites.

We arrived back in Pamplona at around 8pm and the weather was about 4 degrees! I showed them the Plaza del Castillo, the Ayuntamiento, and the Encierro path and statue. We decided to have dinner, but none of the bars and restaurants were open yet! So we took the bus back to the area near their hostel and had Italian for dinner.

On Wednesday we went to San Sebastian. Like the day before, it was raining hard. When we arrived we decided to eat some pinchos at a bar and hope the rain would subside. The pinchos were delicious but the rain showed no sign of stopping. So we just walked around, saw the beach, the town hall, etc. We decided to go up to Mount Igueldo, from where you can look down and see all of San Sebastian. We walked the 30-minute walk to the Furnikular (kind of like a tram that takes you up the mountain) only to find out it was closed! We rested awhile then just had lunch at a nearby restaurant.

After lunch we walked around looking for a taxi to take us to the bus station, we couldn’t find any and we were soon panicking because our bus was leaving soon. We spotted a hotel and decided to ask the receptionist to call us a cab. We waited inside the hotel since it was cold and raining pretty hard. When we saw the taxi, we went outside and it was hailing! After staring at the hail for a few seconds, we rushed into the taxi. We asked the driver to take us to the bus station, and fast please. When we got to the station we rushed out and into our bus. Unfortunately, in my haste I lost my phone.

When we arrived back in Pamplona we still had a few hours before their train back to Madrid. We walked through the Ciudadela (a walled park kind of like Intramuros),and I showed them around the University. It was really cold, and we decided to have merienda at a bar. After eating, we went back to my apartment to get their stuff and then took a taxi to the train station.

It was a fun-filled two days, despite the weather. I had a great time in their company and I hope they enjoyed seeing Navarra and the Basque Country. I'm waiting for any of you to come visit me! Haha.

Pictures to follow.

Car Bomb at the University of Navarra

2008-10-30T19:55:00.005+01:00

As some of you may have heard, there was a car bombing yesterday morning at my school, the University of Navarra.

I was sitting outside the classroom on the third floor doing last minute homework when I heard a loud 'boom' and the floor began to shake. I looked up, out the window, and saw a huge cloud of black fumes. After a few minutes of just staring at the smoke, I gathered up my stuff and joined the rest of my classmates evacuating the building. When I reached the first floor, I saw a lot of people filing out, some crying, and a few with blood on the side of their faces. When I exited the building I looked to the left and saw a lot of black smoke as well as police officers.

The fire on the left side of the building.

Surprisingly, everyone was pretty calm. When evacuating we filed out of the building, there was no screaming and shouting or pushing and running. Some people were crying and few people were in hysterics but in general everybody was pretty calm.

After asking around, I found out that there was a car bomb in the parking lot right beside my building. I'm very thankful that I was on the other side of the building when it happened. There was a fire inside the building, and a lot of the windows shattered. I'm also very thankful because I normally pass that parking lot on my way to classes. Today though I had to do my homework at the center so I passed the other side. I have a friend who told me that she was walking to the building when suddenly car parts started landing around her.

Up to this point I was pretty calm and then the shock started reeling in. I walked behind the building to get to the other side and tried to find my flatmates or some of the other girls from Larrabide. I started getting a little panicky because I had lost my phone in San Sebastian the day before and I didn't have the cellphone numbers of anyone I knew in Spain. I decided to start walking home and luckily I met two other girls from the Larrabide Pisos. We walked home together, and I waited in my apartment. A few minutes later Marina came home and then soon after all the other girls were home as well. At this point I was very emotional; scared and in shock from what happened and relieved that everyone was alright. We watched the news and prayed the rosary.

The attack was done by ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna-Euskera (the Basque language) for "Basque Homeland and Freedom"), a terrorist group of the País Vaco (Baque Country) who want the País Vasco to be an independent country. It was founded in 1959 and they're still very active to this day with a lot of kidnapping, bombings, killings, maimings.

The bomb exploded at around 11 in the parking lot beside the Edificio Central. The car in which the bomb (80-100 kilos of explosives) was planted was stolen the night before. An hour before the explosion, an anymous caller on behalf of ETA phoned the DYA in Vitoria, the Basque capital, and said that there was a bomb in a white Peugot at the university campus, but not specifying which university. (Today, it was on the news that the man who owned the mobile phone has been arrested.)

Twenty-eight people were injured but fortunately, nobody died. This was the sixth attack of ETA on the University of Navarra in the past 30 years, and miraculously nobody has ever died. (One of the girls at Larrabide claims it's because there's a chapel in each building of the university.) Another fortunate thing was that it was raining and there were less people outside than usual.

Classes were suspended obviously, and I spent the rest of the day calming down. I went out with some girls, bought a new phone, had lunch in McDonald's, caught up with my school work.

Today, everything reutrned to normal. The chancellor of the university said that we must return to normal "without fear and without rancor." At 12:00, hundreds of students, professors, employees gathered outside the Social Sciences Building, and we stood in silence for five minutes to protest "in defense of justice and coexistence." It was a solemn moment as everyone stood together and the only sound you could hear was the pitt-pattering of the rain on our umbrellas. After five minutes we all broke out in applause. In other universities around Spain, they echoed this act as well.

Silent protest.

It was a terrifying experience, but I'm really thankful that few people were injured and I am safe. Thank you to everyone who's prayed for me and for all the well wishes.

Getting my Residency Card

2008-10-17T17:10:00.002+02:00

This week, I’ve been working on getting my residency card, which will allow me stay on Pamplona (since my visa is expiring on October 28).

I was able to completely finish registering and paying for my tuition on October 3. Only then could I start working on my visa. There’s a guy, Aires, at the University’s International Office that helps students out before having to go to the police station. I e-mailed him, but the earliest appointment he gave me was for October 10. I met with him and he told me the list of documents I would have to get. When I told him my visa was expiring on October 28, he told me I needed to move fast. He told me to get all my papers ready and meet him again on Tuesday. One of the requirements was a Certificado de Empadronamiento, which I had to get at the Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). I started worrying because the Ayuntamiento is only open from Mondays-Fridays and in the morning.

On Monday, I had no choice but to skip classes. I went to the Ayuntamiento right after xeroxing the letter and I.D. I had to show them. I got a little lost but managed to find the office. I was early so I didn’t have to wait that long. But once I was called, there were some complications. Much, much later, I emerged with my Certificate.

The next day I met with Aires again (missed yet another class) and he checked all my papers and made sure they were all in order. Then he told me that I had to go to the police station on Thursday at 12, meaning I had to miss classes yet again. I got lost on my way there, but managed to arrive at quarter to 12. There was a line though, and I ended up waiting for an hour and a half!

I read Harry Potter (in Spanish) but then it started to drizzle. Then the guy in front of me asked me if I was Sofia Gomez, then introduced himself as Adi. Apparently Rocio told him about me (“She’s tall and she looks like a Filipina”). He’s also a Filipino and did the Bridge Year Program last year. We passed the rest of the time talking, and he couldn’t believe I wasn’t going home for Christmas. (“But Christmas is such a pamilya time!”)

When we finally were able to enter the office (we were waiting outside), I got kinda nervous because the lady handling us was a little sungit. When it was my turn though, my papers were all in order and she was relatively nicer. After she processed my papers I then had to go to the bank, pay, and then go back to the police office. Fortunately, the line at the bank was short. When I returned to the police station, I waited a few more minutes where they made me sign papers and they got my fingerprints. Two and a half hours after I first arrived, I emerged with my “temporary card” (which is a piece of paper, albeit an importanat piece of paperr). I have to return in a month to get my actual card.

But I’m finally glad that’s all done. Now I can relax and look for other things to do. I’m proud of myself though for going to the Ayuntamiento, Police Station, getting my documents, etc. by myself.

Oh, I've finished reading Harry Potter as well.

Zaragoza - La Fiesta de la Virgen del Pilar

2008-10-13T18:06:00.006+02:00

Yesterday, Sunday, I went to Zaragoza with ShanShan and Isabel to join in the celebration of the Virgen del Pilar. La fiesta de la Virgen del Pilar lasts about one week in October (Sunday being the last day) to commemorate the patron saint of the Aragon region. There are plenty dances, performances shows, games, parties, parades, flowers, and masses all day long, all week long.

A little background which I looked up on the internet. The history of the Fiesta del Pilar began when the Apostle James came to Spain to preach the word of God to the pagans. While traveling in Aragon, the Virgin appeared to him and asked him to build a church on the marble pillar he was standing on. The Virgin disappeared but the pillar remained. Later on Santiago granted the request of the Virgin and constructed the beautiful Basilica del Pilar. The pillar, which is supposed to be the symbol of the strength of the church and a road linking Heaven and Earth, is the basis of the feast. The most important tradition is the offering of flowers to the Virgin in the Plaza del Pilar. People dressed in beautiful Spanish dresses (varying depending on the region they come from) line up to offer the Virgin different types of beautiful flowers.

The flower offerings to the Virgen del Pilar.

Some people dressed in Spanish dresses.

There are plenty more parades, dances, and shows but we were not fortunate enough to catch any.

We left rainy Pamplona at about 9:15 (because it took us 15 minutes to find the car). The drive was about two hours, pit stop included. When we got to Zaragoza it took us awhile to find parking but we managed to find a space quite near to the basilica. Unfortunately, it was still raining.

We headed to the Basilica to attend the 12:00 mass. After mass we proceeded to the Shrine to pray. The shrine of Pilar is really very beautiful. After saying our prayers we decided to walk out and look for a place to eat.

The Shrine in the Basilica

It was still raining, but it wasn’t raining that hard. My shoes, socks, and feet were drenched and after awhile I stopped sidestepping puddles and just walked wherever. It was nice to walk around in the rain. The streets weren’t two crowded yet there were many people celebrating in their own ways. It was easy to admire to beauty of the Zaragoza-styled streets and see the many different Spanish dresses as the people walk by.

We found a bar to have lunch in but then transferred to a small café for coffee and dessert. Afterwards we walked around some more and visited another church. I was also able to clearly see the Basilica, and wow, is it beautiful! I couldn’t stop talking pictures of it, determined to get a perfect shot.

Rainy Zaragoza streets.

ShanShan and I at the café.

ShanShan and I outside the Basilica.

Last shot before heading home. Me with the Basilica del Pilar and Ebro River in the background.

For university, I got my results for my first Spanish quiz. I scored a 91, and I'm happy with my score. I only had two mistakes but one of the mistakes was worth 7 points. For my first Redacción (essay) I got an 8 out of 10!

2008-10-08T17:19:00.003+02:00

If anyone’s been wondering how I wake up in the morning, I simply wake up. I can’t really explain it but my body seems to know just what time to wake up. I normally wake up at 8 on a school day, one hour before my classes start. I shower, dress, eat, fix my bed, and then leave at quarter to 9. It’s been working pretty well for me, and so far I’ve never been late for class. On the weekends, I don’t pull down the blinds completely, so that when the sun is strong, the sunlight wakes me up. (And therefore, I don’t waste the whole morning in bed.)

This morning however, I woke up at 8:30, and my classes start at 9. Sunlight didn’t wake me up because at 8:30 the sun is still only rising. I took the quickest shower I’ve ever taken, dressed myself in the first clothes I saw, stuffed my books in my bag, got some biscuits, and ran out the door. To complicate things, there were workers working on the elevator so I had to walk down 7 floors. I walked to school as fast as my legs would take me eating the fistful of biscuits I managed to grab. I entered the classroom with one minute to spare, and just as I sat down on my seat, the professor walked in the room.

Fortunately, the rest of my day went well. We had a quiz in Spanish that I think I did well on. My other two classes were okay as usual. When I got back home, Bea was there! Bea had been gone for a week (she went home to her village) and just arrived back. I was glad to see her because 1) I missed her and 2) I missed food.

Bea is usually the one who takes care of buying our food and cooking our meals. The whole week, Marina and I had been eating all the food, while the food supply continued to diminish. We “never had time” to go to the supermarket and we soon ran out of bread, coffee, milk, meat, butter, and fruits. When Bea came home, the first thing she did was restock our refrigerator with food and then we had a yummy lunch!

As for how I’m passing my time in the afternoon, I still haven’t found something to do. But I’ve started reading Harry Potter in Spanish! Since I memorize the first chapter and more or less know the others, it’s not that difficult and I’m learning a lot of new words.

Life as it is

2008-10-03T17:44:00.003+02:00

On this side of the planet, the weather's been as unpredictable as usual. In the morning, I open my window, stick my hand out, and determine how much layers of clothing I have to put on. If I'm uncertain, I look to see what passerbys are wearing. So far, my predictions have been pretty accurate. The weather's been okay the past couple of weeks, but lately it's starting to get harsher. Yesterday it remained 10-15º the whole day. Today it dropped down to about 8º and it was windy and raining. (At night I sleep with the window closed and with four blankets!)

I walked to school as quickly as possible. During my first class, my hands were so numb i was copying down notes really slowly. Thankfully, the school is equipped with radiators, and I warmed up a bit. Also, all except one of my classes are in the same building, so I don't have to go outdoors to change classes.

Speaking of school, it's been great for me. My lessons are not difficult but they're not exactly easy either. Not only am I learning new things, but I'm learning them in Spanish as well.

Literature is by far my hardest Spanish course and Español my easiest. Right now we're studying poetry in Lit. I've never had an easy time understanding poetry in English, what more in Spanish. It's also kind of hard to tell if words rhyme in Spanish because you have to pronounce the words exactly and properly to see if they rhyme. In one of the poems we took up, the last words of each verse were, aire/mar/olvida/va. The whole class thought that the rhyming pair was olvida and va, but it was actually mar and va, which the teacher explained after properly pronouncing it over and over again. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying the class, and it's giving me the chance to widen my vocabulary. Español is my easiest because we've started from the very beginning (..the very best place to start), and we're now conjugating the present tense which I must admit I think I know well enough. Everyone tellls me my Spanish is improving and I hope they're not just saying that to be polite.

What with all my Spanish classes, Spanish has really been getting in my head. In fact, when I sat down in my European Media Class yesterday, it took me a while to realize that the professor was talking in English and I could understand her!, which is good because the class is really interesting.

I've settled into a pretty normal routine. I wake up, shower, get dressed, then have breakfast. I walk to school and attend all my classes. After class I go home and have lunch in my apartment with my flatmates. I spend the afternoon doing my homework or hanging out with my friends. Sometimes I go for a walk with one of the Larrabide girls. By walk, we literally just walk around, talking, and me learning Spanish words and phrases.

In the evening I have dinner back home. Sometimes, we all gather in one of the apartments, eat and talk together, then watch either a rented movie or whatever's on TV. For some reason, I like watching "Al Pie de la Letra," a Spanish game show where the contestants have to sing the next line of the song. The songs are all in Spanish, and I don't know any of them, but it's pretty fun to watch especially when the other girls all start singing along.

On the weekends, there's always something interesting that comes up. Whether it's someone who invites me out or an activity at Larrabide.

Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of Opus Dei. To celebrate, there was a benedicción at Larrabide followed by pinchos! It was a really great night, I met more girls from Larrabide and learned more words in Spanish.

A few days ago, it was also the birthday of Carmen, one of the girls in the Larrabide pisos (apartments). All of us from the five apartments (5 apartments x 3 girls in each apartment), gathered in one of the apartments and we surprised her! There was food and fun. I really like all the girls here, they're nice and really great.

I'm meeting Marina now, my flatmate, for a walk. I hope everything is well with you, wherever in the world you are.

A picture here and there

2008-09-26T17:14:00.004+02:00

I haven't found a good site to upload my pictures for you to see, so I've posted a few here.

With the Encierro statue of the San Fermines festival Pamplona is popular for.

By one of the entrances to the University of Navarra.

L-R: Carmen, Shanshan, and me in Miranda, a small city about an hour away from Pamplona. It's the hometown of Marina (who is taking the picture).

In Lourdes, by the cross.

You can see how many people there are in the TV screen. The main white tent is where the altar and the Pope were. The smaller tent on the right was for the choir.Pope Benedcit XVI as he passed by us.A night out in one of the bars. Clockwise: Janine (Germany), Molly W., Scarlett, Allison (all USA), Mimi (France), Me, Molly K. (USA), Barbara (Switzerland).

First Week of School & the Bridge Year Program

2008-09-25T16:38:00.004+02:00

The program I'm doing now in Spain is called the "Bridge Year Program." It was designed as a gap year between high school and university or a first degree and employment. We can build our own schedule and program based on our own personal preferences and projects. Since I'm not exactly sure yet what I want to do, this year will help me reflect and think about my future. It will help me build my character and person, and of course learn and immerse myself in the Spanish language and culture.

For the first semester, I will be taking most courses from ILCE (Instituto de Lengua y Cultura Españolas) and one class in English, European Media Culture. In the second semester, when my Spanish is better, I will take regular university classes with Spanish students.

Monday was our first official day of school. For the international students, we took a placement test to determine our level of Spanish. Because ILCE is designed for foreigners, the classes are taught in different levels to accomodate each person's level of Spanish.

Two weeks before I started classes, I took an intensive course also under ILCE. Therefore, the placement test I took on Monday was the same one I took before. I'm happy to say I think I did much better than before. When we took the test, we had to mark which courses we would be taking. Since I forgot to meet with Rocio (the director of the Bridge Year Program), I didn't know which courses I would be taking. So, I just marked 'Español 1.'

After the test I went to meet with Rocio and she informed me that I would be taking Español 1, and four other courses! So I had to go back down and explain to the proctor my situation.

The courses I'm taking are:
Español 1 (grammar) A2
Uso Comunicative (communication use) B1
Cultura y Sociedad Hispanicas A
Literatura Española A
Redacción (writing) A

I was placed in A2 for Español 1, one notch above Beginners. For Uso Comunicativo I was surprised but happy to learn I was in Intermediate. For the other classes, there were only two groups, A and B, so I knew I was going to be in group A.

My classes are all in the morning. By morning I mean 9am-2pm. (Lunch is at 2pm, dinner at around 9:30. And normally, you don't greet someone 'Buenas Noches' until after 8pm.) Thursday is my favorite day though. My classes start at 11am! They end at 3pm, but still, I can wake up late(r than usual). Right now, I don't really do anything in the afternoon but next week I will look for something to take up my time.

The classes themselves have been okay so far. The first class of each course would be introducing yourself (Imagine saying "Hola, me llamo Sofia. Soy de Filipnas. Tengo 18 años¨ five times, once for each class) and basic introduction of the course. All my classmates are international; a lot are American, some Korean/Japanese/Chinese (they kind of all look the same to me), and there are a few Germans. Then there are one or two from other countries like France, Holland, Canada. I'm also happy to say that I can remember more than half of my classmate's names and match the name to the correct face. Haha.

All my ILCE classes are held in the Edifico Central, the main building. In fact, most of the time, they're even in the same room. On Tuesday I had three classes one after the other, all in the same room. I didn't even change seats! And on Wednesday I have three classes, all with the same teacher.

For the Bridge Year Students, this week was actually a "shopping week." We could attend whatever classes we want and see whether we'd like to take them or not. Unlike the rest of the students, we register for our classes next Monday. So far, I pretty much like all my classes and will be taking them.

Living in Pamplona

2008-09-22T17:46:00.003+02:00

Living in Pamplona has been very different from Manila, yet the differences are nice and refreshing.

The center that's in charge of my apartments is called Larrabide, and it's a Club Universitario. Larrabide has five apartments each with three girls, and I live in one of them.

Larrabide is an Opus Dei Center, but so far it's nothing really scary. We have some house rules and curfews. The Larrabide center is on Iñigo Arista Avenue, a few minutes walk from my building. The center has a chapel, living room, computer room, and study room. It extends to the next floor above, where there are sleeping quarters.

My apartment is in a building on Calle Esquiroz. The apartment is nice and I have my own room. My room is not too small and not too big. There's a lot of space to move about, I could easily do yoga in my room. (Not that I do yoga.) There are two bathrooms and I share one with Marina. Bea gets het own bathroom since she's the head of the apartment. We have a kitchen and a laundry room, and a living room which has our dining table.

We live on the 6th floor, and the other Larrabide apartments are in front, beside, and below us. I usually have meals at home and eating we go to whoever's apartment to hang out and talk.

It's easy to get around Pamplona, and the street I live in is kind of a main one. Right beside the entrance to my building is a hygiene store where you can buy shampoo, soap, cleaning products, etc. Directly across my building are a small café and a supermarket. A few meters behind the supermarket is a building called Civivox. It’s a recreational center. To the right of Civivox is a small church where I go to mass. It’s so near and very convenient, and I try to go to mass everyday.

I walk everywhere and from my street, it’s easy to get around. My building is near the corner and the street perpendicular to mine, Iturrama, is a main street. It has lots of banks, mobile carriers, supermarkets, and bars. If you head straight south (from my street), you’ll hit the University, and if you head straight north you’ll hit the city center. From my apartment to the Edificio Central, where I have my classes, it’s about a 15-minute walk. From my apartment to the city center, it’s about 15 minutes as well.

I’ve gotten to know my way around Pamplona. I can get to the parks and main streets without a map. In the city center, I can make my way to a few of the main plazas and streets where shopping is plentiful. Walking around is beautiful; there isn’t much garbage or graffiti. The parks are beautiful as well and you can see a lot of animals.

The weather here varies a lot. On most days it’s cold in the morning, about 10-15°C, and it gets warm in the afternoon, 20-30°C. Some days it stays cold throughout the day and other days it rains in the afternoon. My flat mate said that in Pamplona, you could get the four seasons in one day.

I have to go now and check out what level of Spanish I'll be taking my classes in. Today was the first day of classes, but that's another blog entry!

Welcome Week at the University of Navarra

2008-09-19T18:20:00.004+02:00

Since September 8 I've been taking an intensive course for Spanish. But the past week was the official welcome week for the International Students.

Tuesday morning we registered, and I was overwhelmed by the number of students. There were so many! I met a lot of people whose faces I remember but names I forget. After everyone registered they ushered us into a conference room and began the orientation. We were introduced to a bunch of important people who told us a lot of stuff. Most of it was in Spanish but I was seated beside a guy from El Salvador who was nice enough to translate the important points to me. There was a lot of talk about the International Office, registration of classes, University Clubs, and other things.

After the orientation we were divided into smaller groups and went on a tour around the campus. At the end of the tour we had lunch outdoors and they served us paella from the "Paella Gigante." It was a HUGE paella, and very delicious. I ate with and got to know a girl from France named Mimi doing the Bridge Year Program like me, the guy from El Salvador named Javier who is 17 years old and studying Law!, Matias from Lithuania also studying law, and Allison from the US studying Economics.

I was extremely forgetful today. Not only had I left my camera in my apartment, but I left my keys in the apartment as well. So here is a picture of the Paella Gigante I downloaded off the internet. It was seriously that big!

On Wednesday we had more orientation, more talks and everything. Then we were divided up according to what we would be studying. I and the other students doing Bridge Year transferred to a smaller room. We were few, about ten or so, most where from the United States. Rocio gave us a brief introduction then left us with previous Bridge Year students who answered whatever questions we had. I sat with Mimi, the French girl, who doesn't speak much English. So during the Q&A, I was translating for her. I probably spoke in the wrong tense and with the limited vocabulary I had, but still it was something!

In the afternoon we had another orientation about the library then divided into groups and went on a tour of Pamplona. The students from the International Committee pointed out various sites, bars, parks, stores, libraries, etc. We ended up in Plaza del Castillo then walked down to two bars where we got free pinchos! (Pinchos are Spanish appetizers, called 'Tapas' in other parts of Spain.)

Thursday, the third and last day, was a full day excursion to San Sebastian, a nearby city. We met up on campus then took a bus to San Sebastian. It was a short trip, an hour, I spent most of it talking with Mimi. In San Sebastian we started off with a tour from one of the girls fro the International Committee. After, we had the whole day to do whatever we wanted. I went around with different people talking, drinking coffee, walking on the beach, talking, and eating.

Classes start on Monday already but for the Bridge Year students, we spend the week "shopping for classes." We'll attend various classes then next Monday we'll register for the ones we want to take.

Lourdes - Pope Benedict XVI

2008-09-19T18:19:00.000+02:00

The Pope was in Lourdes from the 13th-15th of September to celebrate the 150th year anniversary of the Apparitions (of the Immaculate Conception to Bernadette.) I had classes on Saturday so I opted to go for the day on Sunday with my flat mate Bea.

I woke up at around 4am, showered and dressed. As Bea and I were getting ready, she received a phone call and we found out that the person who was supposed to bring us to the meeting point was sick! So we quickly got all our stuff and left. We walked to Plaza Merindades which is in the city center. It wasn't that far, about a 15 minute walk, but it was early in the morning and pretty cold. We got to the plaza on time, and boarded the bus. We left Pamplona at around 5am. The trip to Lourdes was around four hours. We stopped only once in a gas station near the border where it was freezing cold. I had breakfast on the bus as well.

When we got to Lourdes, the bus parked in the parking lot, and we walked to the site a few meters away. It was crowded with people, but very organized. Before we entered the field, we were given a foldable stool, which had a pocket to store your things in, bottled water, and an envelope which contained papers about the event, etc. The field was divided into sections and each person had a card which indicated the section we were in. We were in sector 56, which was mostly people from Pamplona. We managaed to find our section and Bea and I saw the other girls from Larrabide (the center that runs the apartments I live in). We settled down just in time for the mass to start. We were a little far from the tent where the Pope was in, but there were large screens where videos were projected.

The Mass of the Triumph of the Cross started at 10am. It was celebrated for the special intentions of young people. It was mostly in Latin and French, but some parts were said in different languages, like the responsorial psalms . We had a pamphlet though to follow the mass, and there were some portions in English. The Pope gave his homily in French. After the mass we walked to a less crowded area and had lunch. We rested awhile then proceeded to the Grotto. We didn't go in the grotto because the line was very long, but we sat down nearby and prayed. I prayed the rosary and the special Jubilee prayer.

In order to fully celebrate the Jubilee year, the "Jubilee Way" was designed as a spiritual route for pilgrims to follow. It took one through four important places in Bernadette's life, with prayers and things to do in each stop. The four places were the parish church where she was baptized, the Cachot where her family lived, the Grotto where the apparitions took place, and the Hospice chapel where she received her first communion. Unfortunately, when we were there the only place that was open was the Grotto.

After praying we went back to the field for the Blessed Sacrament Procession. This time, we sneaked into a different sector so we were closer to the front. The Blessed Sacrament Procession was really long, and there was a lot of chanting and singing. The choir though was very good, it was composed of people of different ages. The youngest members must have been about 12 years old. The Pope joined in at the end and gave the final blessing. After the blessing he went somewhere behind the tent.

We moved closer to the barriers so we could see the Pope when he passed by. While waiting for the Pope, there were many Spanish people (mostly the girls from Larrabide) cheering on the Pope, shouting Viva El Papa!, and others. Finally the Pope came out from behind the tent in his special white car. There was louder cheering and waving as he rode pass the people. I was able to get a good look at him and we didn't stop waving and cheering as he passed by.

After the Pope left, Bea and I said goodbye to the other girls and went back to our bus. It was eight in the evening and another four hours back to Pamplona. Back in Pamplona it was freezing cold and Bea and I half walked half ran back to the apartment.

It was a really great day and an amazing experience for me. You can read more about Lourdes, the Pope, the Jubilee year by clicking here.