Spring Break-Barcelona

I am finally back home, back home to London that is.  It has been an eventful 10 days that was simply amazing.  I am going to break my blog up into parts, one that I will do tonight and one that I will do tomorrow because if I were to try and tell you about the whole trip it would take me way to long.  So first I will write about Barcelona.  

It all started on last Thursday when we headed to Luton Airport on our way to see Barcelona.  It is always a long day of travelling from central London to any airport.  Anyways, after a long day of travelling we arrived and then took a bus into the city but we were completely lost.  So far, we have been able to ask for help, but having not taken a Spanish class in 2 years, I was a little rusty to say the least.  We were told in very broken English that we should watch our stuff because it was a sketchy part of town.  So, we were planning on meeting up with Louie but we did not and we just found our way to our hotel.  

The next day, Louie had class and we couldn't meet up with him until a little later so we decided to eat lunch on the beach.  It was about a 10 minute walk from the hotel and we arrived to this...

After lunch we decided to head into the city center of Barcelona and again, the language played a barrier because we got all sorts of lost and in the end, Louie came to our rescue.  We meet up with him and it was a beautiful day so a bunch of his friends were down on the beach playing volleyball.  He took us for a walk all through Barcelona and it was a lot of fun to chat with him.  The picture below is in Plaza de Espana and it is an old palace but turned into a huge museum.  If you look closely there is a fountain in front which we would visit later.

On our walk to the beach we walked down Las Rambas, which is a street that is very long and I compare it to Covent Gardens with lots of little restaurants and street performers.  Here are a couple of good ones.

We finally reached the beach which was beautiful.  This is where we meet up with Anna who was in from Madrid for the weekend.  

AFter the beach we headed to Louie's dorm so he could change and then decided to go out for Tapas, a common snack before you eat a really late dinner.  It was very fun to learn about the traditions of a different country.  

At night we headed to the magic fountain where a very cool performance is put on every night.  This is what I was talking about earlier. 

 There are also all sorts of water falls in front of the old palace.  It was very cool.  There was a street vendor selling a local beer of Spain called Estrella and we bought a 4 pack for the four of us and we sat and watched a intriguing fountain show.  After that we headed home only to get up and head right back into the city on Saturday.  We headed to Park Guell, which is a famous park designed by Gaudi and it was quite the adventure.  Gaudi has a very unique style of design and here are some pictures to show what the park kind of looks like.  It is not by any means what a park looks like when we say "park" in the US.  

After seeing much of Park Guell with Louie and Anna, all four of us headed off the trail to a mountain which Louie had been on before.  We climbed, and we climbed and we climbed with a lot of complaining straight up this "mountain".  We eventually reached the top and it was an incredibly view of the city.  It was a prelude to something that was later to come. 

This shows Tibidaba, a church located at the highest part of Barcelona.  More to come on this.

We made it! I am dripping sweat in shorts and a t shirt while everyone else was cold.  Nothing new.

After our mountain climb we headed over to Carlota's house, who is Louie and Anna's friend.  It was nice to meet her and we decided to head back to Louie's so I could shower before we went out.  Anna and Carlota made a typical Spanish dinner for all of us and we had dinner in her house which was great.  We had some drinks there before we went out for the night.

Sunday we went back into the city center to meet up with Louie and at this time Anna had to head for the airport to catch her flight back to Madrid.  We spent the day walking around the city and he was going to show us Tibidabo but it ended up being closed on Sunday so we all decided to head out to the beach near our hotel and have a late dinner.  We went to bed early because it was a late night before.  Monday was our last day in Barcelona and we made the most of it.  

Louie had class in the morning so we decided to head to Sagrada Familia but the line was literally  3 blocks long and we head someone saying it took over 3 hours to get through the line.  So we didn't go in and took lots of pictures.  Here our some the pictures we took from the outside.  

This is the front of the church.  It almost looks like it is melting, but that is all detail.  It is unlike anything you have ever seen before.  The front(this picture) depicts the entire Nativity scene from the Angel Gabriel and Mary to the Birth of Jesus.  

A picture of the side of the church.  If you look carefully, you can see the two different tones of the church.  It has taken over 100 years to build because it costs so much that it was to wait for more revenue then build then wait and etc... 

The back of the church which depicts the Resurrection of Christ.  A lot different mood than the front.  

This is just showing the detail of the church.  

The whole church.

I suggest reading about this church online.  It is something special.

We meet up with Louie and he took us to Tibidabo, which is the highest point in Barcelona.  On top of the mountain there is the Sacred Heart church and is about 2000 feet above sea level.  Here is a picture of the church.

You have to take a cable car up the mountain and it brings you to this point.  You then climb and make your way to Jesus' feet.  It is way up there.  Once you make it there, it is like nothing you have ever seen.

A view from Jesus' feet.

The city of Barcelona.

This was going to be the last thing we did, but Louie forced us to go back to see the inside of Sagrada Familia.  So, we did and it was totally worth it.  Here are some of the pictures of the inside.  

Its all like white marble and the stain glass is beautiful.  There is so much symbolism in the church that it is almost too much to comprehend.  Gaudi also designed this and it was by far the most intricate detail I have seen in any Cathedral I have been in.

After that we headed home and had a late dinner before packing and heading to Rome for the next couple of days.  I want to thank Louie and Anna because without them we would probably still be stuck in our hotel looking up how to ask where the airport was in Spanish.  It is simply amazing how good Louie has gotten at Spanish and he was one hell of a guide.  He is coming to London in a couple weeks and I have to start making a list of things to do so I can try and compare to the luxury he provided us.  

Anyways, feels good to be home, back in London.  Crazy how adapted I am to London that I can comfortably call it home.  

More to come later.

Cheers

Jimmy

 

Update

Well, I haven't really blogged to much in the last couple of days because not much has gone on.  It was a boring week because everyone is saving money for when we head out for Spring Break.  Speaking of that, I leave here in about 20 minutes to catch a bus and head to the airport for Barcelona.  Should be great because I get to meet up with my cousin Louie who is there.  After a couple days in Barcelona we are heading to Rome where we will spend the rest of our break hanging in Italy.  I won't have my computer so it will be a while until I update this.  I am hoping I can use Louie's computer to update the Barcelona portion of my trip. Either way check it out in about 10 days and I will have updated everything from the trip.  Should be a blast.


Cheers

Jimmy

Rugby Game

Yesterday we woke up early and starting some festivities with a bunch of our flat mates before we headed out to  a local rugby game, however it was not very local.  We had like a hour worth of traveling to get to the game but it was totally worth it.  We had to take the tube to Waterloo station and then head south east of London.  It was on an above ground train.  After we got of the train stop we had like a 15 minute walk to the "Stoop".  It was a pretty cool stadium.  Not very big, it held about 15,000, and was for the most part full.  It was a very fun atmosphere and the British people LOVE rugby.  I talked to the guy next to me and it is professional rugby.  There is a league called the "6 nations" which is 6 countries and that is the biggest league.  The game we went to yesterday has like 4 people that play on the national teams.  So, comparing it to America, I would guess it is like Triple A baseball, a really good farm team.

Stadium view.  Very flat and open.

We were in the 3rd row right behind the endzone. Great view.

It was a muddy field.

After the game we came back and ate some dinner and met up with some guys that went to the Chelsea football game.  We then went out to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, the oldest pub in London I have described earlier.  It is such a fun place with a ton of history.  We sat and talked to a couple one from Rural England and one from Brazil.  It was funny to hear them speak of America.  After this we headed over to Piccadilly Circus as a big group to meet up with more people from our group.  It was a short stay in Piccadilly and we headed home.  Today is a homework day, but I thought I would get this done before I did any work work.  

Cheers

Jimmy

Catching up

Firstly, I am going to tell a little bit of the differences about the British gym and people that inhabit it.  First noticeable difference is the size of the gym.  The gym is tiny and built up and not out, much like the rest of London.  Locker rooms which have sauna and shower in it are the floor above the actual gym. It is rather small compared to SJU weight room.  Maybe 1/4 of the size that I am used to.  It is fully equipped with the machines and free weights that are needed, but much less room to use them.  I have got to know all of the regulars (that are willing to talk to me) and they say that this club is one of the best in London.  There is no room in the city for a Lifetime Fitness so I guess his is one of the best.  The people in the gym are much like they are in the states, just far less of them.  There are a couple big guys that look like they were born in the weight room and then there are the guys that are small and wish that they were as big as the big guys.  The club offers a bunch of classes which British people are huge into.  They teach all sorts of classes ranging from boxing to abs blast to marshal arts.  The personal trainers are the ones that teach the class and they are free to attend.  Haven't had the chance to attend them yet but maybe I will by the end of it.

Anyways, Thursday we had class in the morning and then came home and ran to the gym outside again.  We checked it and it is a mile and a half.  It was an unusual Thursday seeing that we had a theater performance.  It was put on at RADA which is Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, a famous acting school.  It was a bunch of kids our age that put on the show, which was pretty good.  You could tell a big difference between the usual London theater compared to the the acting schools.

After the theater we heard of a Karaoke Bar.  So we eventually ended up at the Monument Tube stop where we went to the bar called Britanaca.  It was good night with cheap drinks.  First time we have found a place with good drinks that were cheap.  It ended up being a very fun night and we had probably 15 people from our group out.  It was a blast and we sang Sweet Caroline, some spice girls, Don't Stop Believing.  After Don't Stop Believing the DJ kept us on stage for the last song of the night and surprised with "Born in the USA".  He must of loved us.

Today we woke up(little bit of a headache) and headed to the huge market area of London.  Took the Picadilly line up to Leicester Square and headed north on the Northern line until we hit Camden Town.  It literally is a couple city blocks of straight stores and street vendors trying to sell some stuff.  We made our way to the end of the street which ends at Stable Market.  It used to be a horse hospital and the stalls of hospital are now turned into stores with food vendors yelling at you to buy their food.  It was incredibly cheap for a ton of food.  The problem with this area is it is where "punk" originated.  Lots of tattoo and piercing parlors.  Lots of mohawks and artsies people there.

shows the shops on each side of the road.

Tonight we are in to blog and do some homework because tomorrow we are off to a Rugby game! it will be a ton of fun.  It is a local league in London of semi professional Rugby.  I think it is like a farm system in the states.  Should be fun.

 

Cheers

Jimmy

First Run outside

Today we had class in the morning and I usually go right to the tube stop and head to the gym.  Today, I did things a little different.  I came home and got ready to go to the gym and decided to run there.  It was a great run.  I run north on Queensgate until I reach Hyde Park and then head west and eventually end up running south on High Street Kensington to the gym.  It is not the most scenic route there is seeing that your running on busy streets, but it is enjoyable to be outside.  Its about a mile, maybe a little more and the weather is getting better which makes running outside all the better.  After the gym, had some lunch and relaxed before going to theater class at 6.  We usually go to performances but we did not have one this class.  Instead, we have it tomorrow.  After theater we came home and watched the big soccer game here.  It was Arsenal and Barcelona for some championship game that I didn't understand.

More or less a bit of a boring day with the exception of the run outside.  Hope all is well at home.

Cheers

Jimmy

Parliament

Today we had to get up extra early(on our day off) to go to the Parliament building.  It was actually a really cool tour but we could not take any pictures, which for me, was a big bummer.  We got off at Westminster tube stop and headed into the front doors.  However, this was a special tour because not anyone can go on it.  I am not exactly sure how we got to do it, but regardless we did and it was something else.  It was the most ornate, intricate, stunning design of any interior of an building or house I have ever seen.  It was better then most Cathedrals that we have seen with the design.  We saw places where the Prime Minister has his office, the thrown where the Queen herself sits during a session, House of Lords and House of Commons.  On each and every wall there is some painting, sculpture, design, gold, etc.  It was unreal and we had a cool tour guide.  It was only an hour long tour but we got to go through the whole building.

After that we came home and had lunch and I did a load of laundry! Fun stuff.  We continued our fun afternoon by going to the grocery store and I did a paper that is due next week! Productive!!!

Tonight was a very fun night.  We, as a whole flat, bought a meal for Scott and Shirley(our directors) to come over and eat.  Libbie and I prepared the meal.  We made enough fajitas, rice, salsa, guacamole, and cookies for 12 people! It got a little crowded in our small kitchen but it was a fun dinner to have with our directors.  After dinner they stayed over and we talked about a lot of random topics.  Basically just hung out with them for a while.  It was a lot of fun.  Tomorrow we are back to class!

Cheers

Jimmy

A weekend in Dublin

This weekend we traveled to the great city of Dublin, Ireland.  It was quite the experience and totally different the society than London.  So, here is my attempt to express what exactly we did.

We landed on Thursday night about 7:30 PM and the airport is like 45 minutes north of the "City Center".  Our hotel was only about 20 minutes north of the "City Center" in an area known as Ballymun.  Anyways, the first night we went to the center to grab some food and see what the city had to offer.  We took to the bus down and walked around the main street known as O'Connell Street.  The first tourist attraction you see on this street is known as "The Spire" which was built recently and it is just a huge really really tall pole for a lack of a better word.  It is incredibly tall and can be used as a reference point while walking in the city.  We continued our journey across the River Liffey(which separates the north side and south side of town) over to the "Temple Bar" region.  We heard lots of live music in places we walked by, but we were starving.  The problem was not many food places were open at 9 when we got to the city.  We found a little hole in the wall place serving Traditional Irish Food and we stopped.  I ordered the Irish Stew and it was god awful.  I am not particularly picky when it comes to food, but this was incredibly sour stew that was just not very good at all.  After eating, we walked around a bit more until we headed back to to O'Connell street where we caught our bus back to Ballymum for the night.  As we checked into our hotel(which was incredibly cheap) the person working the front desk ended up being from the small town of Poland that the name Stodolka actually comes from.  Small world.

Monument on O'Connell Street.

River Liffey.

"The Spire" at night.

On Friday we woke up and took the bus back to the city.  We walked from O'Connell Street which is on the north east part of town to the south west part of town where the Guinness Brewery is.  It is a good walk and we walked along the Liffey.  The brewery is something to see.  It was very fun and interesting.  The building is built around a model pint glass and is 7 floors high.  There is something to see on each floor.  The bottom floors are all about the ingredients that they use in the beer.  As you walk up the building(making your way to the top of the pint glass other floors include fermentation process, brewing, how to pour a perfect pint, advertising, sponsorship, and history of the building and beer around the world.  At the top, there is a cold pint waiting for you along with a 360 degree panoramic view of the whole city of Dublin.  It was a intriguing view.

On our way to the brewery.

Really cool part of the tour.  Showed you how to make the old kegs that it was stored in.

The original Harp that is there logo.

Examples to advertisement.

Perfect Pint.

View of the city from the top

Another View.

After the tour we walked back along the south side of the river towards Grafton Street and Trinity College.  However, we couldn't pass up "The Brazen Head" pub.  It is the oldest pub in Dublin.  Stopped there for a quick pint before heading to our destination.  

After reaching our destination and seeing Grafton Street along with Trinity College, we headed up to "The Glimmerman" pub, which was my cousin Nicks favorite pub while he studied in Dublin.  Tried to meet the ever so famous Ollie and Liverpool Tony but they were not to be found.  There was a lot of local people in here and there accents were incredibly hard understand.  Had a pint of Beamish, a very good ale.  Headed back to Temple Bar area where we spent the night listening to great live music.  The pub was packed with people and everyone was singing along.  

Bar we spent Friday night at.

Nicks favorite pub.

Good beer at Nicks favorite pub.

Really good guitar player and the band we listened to on Friday night.

Packed bar.

Saturday we woke up and headed back into town. We tried to find a good market to go to but had no such luck. As we were walking towards the Dublin Zoo we ran across the Saint Patrick's Cathedral and the Dublin Castle.  Very fun stuff to see. We made our way to the zoo and spent two hours there.  So much fun animals to see.  Saturday Night we went to a couple pubs in search of good live Irish music.  We went to Kehoe's, The Globe, Mercantile, Sweeneys and others.  Found some really good Irish Music and listened for a couple hours before moving on to the next pub.  It was a blast and really good music.  It got kind of late and we headed home.  

Fun stuff on Grafton Street.

Really cool carving.

Saint Patrick's Park.

The Cathedral.

Castle walls.

Cold Monkey.

Huge Gorilla.

Tigers.

Rhino.

Hippo.

After the zoo and heading to see the Irish music we headed back to the hotel.  It was an exhausting weekend walking all over the town.  Sunday we just had lunch and then headed to the airport making it back to London.  That wrapped up our trip to Dublin.  Very fun weekend.  

Cheers 

Jimmy