Las vacaciones en España! (Spring Break in Spain!)

This year I spent my spring break in Spain and it was absolutely amazing! From the culture, to the nightlife, from the food and sangria to the scenery, everything thing about Spain was just fabulous.

My trip to Spain began in Barcelona on Friday. Because of an airline mishap, K & I didn't arrive in the city until evening and by the time we reached our hotel, it was late evening. After settling in, we planned to begin our evening in Plaza Reial-- "planned" being the operative word-- an area of the city which is home to a lot of bars. After Google Map searching directions from our hotel to the Plaza we began walking towards where we thought the Plaza was located. Along the way, we stopped at a tapas bar (they literally line the streets) for a bite to eat and some pre-bar drinks. Since I was in Spain, I felt it only right to indulge myself with a large glass of sangria. After some small talk with the owner of the bar who was impressed by my Spanish and the fact that we were studying law at Oxford (it's literally the Harvard of Europe), we continued on towards Plaza Reial-- just in the wrong direction. SMH! Everyone that we asked seemed to point us in the same direction, yet we ended up nearly back at the hotel where we started! Finally, at about 1:30 AM when were headed in the right direction, we encountered some club promoters who convinced us to ditch the bar that we planned to go to and head to their party instead. After some hesitation, we decided to get it a try... BEST DECISION EVER! The club felt like a little slice of Americana and OF COURSE, the fans loved us! The DJ played all of the best American party selections and the club didn't close until 6 AM! (Barcelonans love to party!)

Getting back to the hotel at nearly 6 AM, we set ourselves up for a long day on Saturday. Up and out of the hotel before noon, the first stop on our self-guided tour of Barcelona was Sagrada Familia (translated to "The Holy Family"). Construction of the temple began in 1882 and although it was never officially completed, Sagrada Familia is perhaps Spain's most famous landmark. Walking up to the temple, the first thing I noticed were the multitude of scaffolds and cranes surrounding the church which detracted from its grandeur. Inside the temple, however, was absolutely stunning. There were huge columns built to resemble the trees and branches of a forest, skylights, religious depictions and much more.

After visiting Sagrada Familia, we took the Metro to the Gothic Quarters where we visited the Picasso Museum. Like Sagrada Familia, Picasso was another subject that I had studied extensively during undergrad in my Spanish classes. Most of my studies focused on Picasso's cubism, rose, and blue periods, so I was surprised to see the vast number of works that conformed to none of those periods. (I'll include a picture of my favorite painting below-- I'm SO upset that I cannot remember its name!) Later that night, we met up with some fellow Law Dawgs who were also in Barcelona for the weekend. After a dinner of authentic paella accompanied by a few glasses of sangria, we went to a flamenco show. One word-- INCREDIBLE! The accompanying Spanish guitar and singing were great, but the flamenco dancing was perfection. The dancer performed for about 15 minutes straight without breaking a sweat or losing her breath. I've never seen anything like it!

After the flamenco show, we hopped on the metro and went to the world-famous Opium Nightclub on the beach. I say it's "world-famous" because nearly all of our friends who have had the chance to visit Barcelona told us to make sure we went there. The next morning before heading to the airport, we rented bikes and rode around the city, stopping at the Port D'Barcelona for pictures and tapas.

Late that night after hours of traveling, we arrived in Mallorca, Spain. The town we stayed in, Alcudia, was probably the most gorgeous place I've ever seen. The vast Mediterranean Sea juxtaposed with the mountains in the town was absolutely breathtaking. Alcudia is a quaint and quiet port town on the Mediterranean, so our time there was very low key. We did a lot of eating (some of the best food ever!), a lot bike riding through the town, and a lot of relaxing. Perfect ending to our Spanish vacation!

Port D'Barcelona

Strolling through the plaza of a cathedral

La Sagrada Familia

Flamenco show

K & I on our first night out in Barcelona

My favorite Picasso painting. So pretty!

Law Dawgs in Barcelona! 

View from the balcony of our hotel room

Port D'Alcudia 

Paris: Très jolie!

It's been a while since I've posted, and since I'm heading to Barcelona on Friday (^__^), I thought I should probably post my entry about Paris.

Last month, I went to Paris for the first time and it was sooo amazing! In order to get the biggest bang for our buck, the girls and I decided to book our trip through a company called UK Study Tours. This company offers low-cost trips for students to destinations like Paris, Amsterdam, etc. for around $230-250 which includes travel, lodging, and guided tours. I definitely recommend using the company to book a trip if you're ever in the UK and want to take a weekend trip to a nearby country.

Anyway, upon arrival in the city at about 8:00 AM local time, we dropped our bags off at the hotel, grabbed breakfast quickly, and hit the ground running. Within minutes, we were on the Metro headed to the heart of the city where we began our tour. First, the tour guide started us off on the Champs Elysees, the longest avenue in Paris, near the Ferris Wheel of Paris and the Obelisk. From there we walked to the "petit" Arc de Triomphe, the Inverted Pyramid located in the Louvre shopping mall in front of the world-famous Louvre Museum, and later the River Seine. We took a boat tour on the River Seine which allowed us to see a lot in a little bit of time. From the river, we were able to see the Eiffel Tower, the Love Bridge, the original Statue of Liberty, the Alexander III Bridge, the Louvre Museum, and much more.

After the river boat tour, the tour guide left us and we were on our own for a few hours to explore the city. Being in Paris was such an out-of-body type experience for me. Never before had I been in a country where I neither spoke nor understood the language! Besides the basics-- "bonjour", "au revoir", "merci", and "parlez-vous anglais?" (Can you speak English?)-- I practically knew nothing. I found myself just staring at people when they spoke French because I just couldn't grasp my mind around the fact that I wasn't able to understand anything that they were saying! Luckily though, we were able to find people who spoke some level of English whenever we needed assistance.

That afternoon, we walked to the Notre Dame, but decided not to go inside because the line was so long. Having worked up an appetite from walking and wanting to warm up, we stopped in a little cafe near Notre Dame to grab a bite to eat and un chocolat (a hot chocolate). Sitting in the cafe, wearing my beret, and sipping from a mug of hot chocolate, I definitely felt I was channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw (see the "American Girl in Paris" episodes of Sex & the City if you're clueless). Although we planned to rent bikes and ride around the city, having no knowledge of either the French language or the streets of Paris, we couldn't figure out where we were, so we decided against renting the bikes and instead continued walking. From there, we walked to the other end of the the Champs Elysees in search of some macarons (the best pastry ever!), to check out the shopping, and to see the larger Arc de Triomph.

That night after dinner and taking a quick rest break at the hotel, we decided to check out Parisian nightlife. Having a Spelman-Morehouse connection in Paris (you know how global and well-traveled we are), K and I met up with a friend of mine who is currently studying in Paris. The bar was in the Moulin Rouge-area of Paris which reminded me New York City. There were drunk people everywhere, hanging out of bars, taxis, you name it. The area was so lively and diverse and not to mention, I got to see the Moulin Rouge! 

The next day before heading back to Oxford, we visited the Eiffel Tower and Versailles. Although the Eiffel Tower is the "cliche" Parisian tourist attraction, it was still the site I wanted to see the most while in Paris. We took the elevator to the second floor and because I'm scared of heights, I was pretty much dying inside the entire ride up. The elevators are huge with glass floor-to-ceiling windows, an exposed system of pulleys and cables, and at least 30 people inside-- not my thing. Once we finally got off the elevator, the view was BEAUTIFUL. I could practically see all of Paris around me. Definitely one of the best memories I have ever made. 

The Palace of Versailles was unforgettable as well, as it was HUMONGOUS and the single most gaudy structure I have ever seen. An entire hallway lined with mirrors, gold chandeliers, countless statutes, gold-plated door handles, feathered adornments, corner-to-corner murals on the ceilings, etc. The French royal family was definitely out of control. Touring the palace, it was pretty evident why the French people stormed the palace and overthrew the royal family.

All in all, Paris was an amazing and unforgettable experience. Just being able to observe the architecture, the people, and the culture reminded me of how blessed I am. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am so grateful that it was afforded to me.

Anyway, the next stops aboard the European Adventure Train are Barcelona and Mallorca, Spain! Estoy muy emocionada para viajar al país donde se originó el idioma español!

Stay tuned! =)

On the Love Bridge over the River Seine 

Le petit Arc de Triomphe

The Ferris Wheel of Paris and the Obelisk 

Map of the Paris Metro

The Famous Avenue des Champs Elysees

Me, in front of the Eiffel Tower