Barcelona and Dad's Trip to Spain

Well, after relishing The Divine Victory of UT over A&M in Rome (and seeing many other amazing pieces of history), we flew back to Madrid in order to catch an overnight bus to Barcelona to meet Dad coming from the States.

A few quick words about overnight buses for those of you considering them:
1. The tickets for overnight buses cost the same as ones during the day, but the advantage comes from not having to pay for a night of hostel.
2. Bus seats are never comfortable enough to sleep well in unless you bring a pillow.
3. It is possible to sleep on the bus, but they stop every few hours, according to Spanish law.
4. Every time they stop they make an announcement and turn on all of the lights.
5. Despite all of this, it is possible to rest while on the bus. Just be prepared. Bring something to cover your eyes and a pillow (and pray that the guy or girl behind you doesn't snore).
6. The big thing to realize is that you will probably be tired the entire next day after the ride. How tired depends on your preparation. Hostels cost money, but walking around half asleep can cost you more in the long run.

All of that being said, we met Dad at the airport train station and basically went straight to sightseeing. About an hour into walking around, we realized that Barcelona is absolutely massive on a European scale.

We started on La Rambla, which is Barcelona's huge pedestrian street what leads directly from the Plaza Cataluña to the Port. From there, we went to the huge statue of Christopher Columbus "pointing toward the horizon in search of the New World" overlooking the Port. Strolling along the harbor, we cut back up into the Gothic Quarter and Dad got to see his first Spanish cathedral. From there we headed to the Plaza Cataluña and took a video panoramic from inside of the huge circular Plaza, complete with pigeons and plenty of young Spanish children running around playing with them.

About this time, we realized that there was no way that we could walk around and see everything we wanted to see, so we hopped onto a touristic bus from Plaza Cataluña to check out the sights. And sights there were.

The bus ran two lines, the East Route and the West Route. We started on the East Route.

The first place we stopped gave us the best view over Barcelona that we found. From the Mirador (viewpoint) your could see almost all of Barcelona stretching between the mountains and the sea. Honestly, it was one of the most breathtaking views I've seen in Europe. I'll post a picture of that scene as soon as I can get one from Dad (our camera was dead on the first day), but here's the link to everything else that we took.

Continuing on the bus tour, we rode past the 1992 Olympic Stadium, the Museu Nacional de Arte Cataluña, the Plaza de España, Avenida Diagonal, and finished back at Plaza Cataluña. At all of these places, you can get off, take pictures, tour the site, etc., but we decided to stay on since we hadn't had much sleep the night before. Dad had been on a plane for 15 hours and we were on a bus for 7 hours. We all were tired. We just didn't know how tired...

We got back to the hostel around 4PM, checked in and went to sleep...for a nap...or so we thought... We finally got up and out of bed the next morning around 7AM after having slept for 15 hours each. Needless to say, we all felt very refreshed.

The next day we took the other route on the Bus tour and saw the Olympic Village, Barceloneta (the beach), Gaudi's Sagrada Familia (a giant church), and pretty much all of the other sites that we missed the day before. We even spent and hour or so walking through Gaudi's famous Parc Guell where this picture of Dad and Bana was taken.

And later that night we ate at the Hard Rock cafe in Barcelona, where we were fortunate enough to get a Maragrita and a real american hamburger!

Barcelona was an absoultely amazing city except for all of the Catalan everywhere instead of spanish. The entire city was redone to host the 1992 Olympics, so everything along the port and the "touristy" areas are cleaned daily and in really good condition. Dad was saying that he couldn't get over how beautiful the city was despite what he originally thought was going to be an old and trashy place. Even as much as Bana and I enjoy the small places, Barcelona is definitely a must see while you're in Spain. Just be prepared to walk or pay the metro if you don't want to take the tour bus.

Anyway, on Tuesday morning after spending Sunday and Monday in Barcelona, Dad went with us back to Bilbao. Here he basically relaxed around for the rest of the week while Bana and I were in class. In quite a contrast to Barcelona, life in Bilbao takes on a much slower pace of life, and enjoying Bilbao is about enjoying relaxing around in the different sites around the city. We took him to the Funicular to get the panaorama of Bilbao. We ate pintxos (tapas) in several bars at night. We took him to an Erasmus Party, and of course to the Guggenheim Museum.

Overall, I think he enjoyed the trip, and of course it was good to see him after being away so long. Just like when Bana's parents came up in March, I didn't want to see him go back to the States. But, we've only got two short weeks left here in Bilbao then it's on to London, Dublin, and back home to Texas.

Until then,
Cade

Rivalry in Rome

We left Texas in January. Texas, apparently, hasn’t left us.

To any and all of our readers whose loyalties lie in College Station, and to those readers whose loyalties rightfully lie in Austin, this one’s for you. And for those whose loyalties lie in Norman, what are you thinking? (Just kidding...) Seriously, everything I’m about to say is all for fun – I’m not sure I can even talk smack when I’m thousands of miles away.

So, as we left the Colosseum, our heads still reeling from the grandeur of this ancient 2000-year-old amphitheater, we see graffiti of the most vulgar type – Aggie Graffiti. I even had to do a double-take to make sure, but sure enough, among all the “Jessica wuz here”s and the “B luvs C"s, was this unmistakable Texas A&M University insignia.

Okay, this gets better.

So, once we left the Colosseum , we toured Vatican City, where of all things was a message from God. An angel, perched up on a corner of Saint Peter’s Basilica, is CLEARLY giving the hook ‘em sign. I promise you, this is an original photo that I took myself and is completely unaltered except for the circle and text. If that’s not a clear message from the heavens, I don’t know what is.

Cade found the perfect quote to complement. Recognize it anyone? Hint: "The Last Corps Trip", by P.H. DuVal Jr. '51

"...And when the band had finished,
St. Peter wiped his eyes
And said, "It's not so hard to see
They're meant for Paradise."

Aggies have to deface an ancient treasure to get their message across. UT’s got the official Vatican Stamp of Approval. You can’t ask for more than that. :)

Peace,

-Bana

When in Rome, do what the Romans do. Eat gelato.

It's kind of hard to put yourself in the kind of perspective required for Rome when your own country's still in its proverbial infancy. That said, we tried our best and Rome still blew us away.

The Colosseum
I remember reading somewhere once that entry into the Colosseum itself isn't allowed but that's apparently a huge mistake. We walked right up to the ticket sales, paid our 12€ each, and actually got prime access to the ancient relic. We're too poor for the audio guides, but once inside, it seemed it spoke its own history. Though the floor has since eroded away and most of the structures are wearing and tearing, it's easy to visualize the gladiators walking out onto the stage, fighting to the death. It was truly an intense experience. So rich in overwhelming history. We were absolutely blown away. Though they won't actually let you on the ground floor, the balconies are mostly all accessible. I really hate the cliché tourist hot spots, but this is one that was absolutely worthwhile - worth the flight to Rome, worth the two nights in the Roman hostel rooms with the two guys who snore way too loud, worth the 12€ ticket, and worth the hour it took to wait in line. Seeing history for ourselves was worth every penny.

The Gelato
Mmmm. Gelato. Real gelato. Because you can't go to Italy and not try its addicting ice cream, we had our share the second day there, when the weather was hot and sunny - prime climate to dig in gelato. After finishing our picnic lunches (grilled cheese and fries, cooked at the hostel the night before), we took our sacred gelatos and enjoyed them at the park, taking in the beautiful Roman weather, the Roman ruins surrounding us, and the Roman hobos.

The Food
When my parents visited us from the states and we all went to Pisa, we tried our very first authentic Italian food. Since then, Italian food has been our favorite in Europe. Rome is no different. We ate at this charming pizzaria our first day in Rome, and suffice it to say, Spanish food can't hold a candle to the bounty in Italy. Mmmm.

The Roman Ruins
Much like the Colosseum, the Roman Ruins were awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping and downright incredible. And, like the Colosseum, their history spoke for themselves. If we would have had the time, I would have spent hours perusing the ancient ruins, but our vacation was limited and we could only take a quick glance-over, snap a few photos and go. In all this, it still amazes me that when the Roman Empire had reached its peak, our own country (which, in a trio with China and Japan now headlines the global economy), was absolutely nothing.

The Vatican
We really only saw Saint Peter's Basilica, but that church alone put all the Spanish cathedrals to shame. Every inch of the church is covered with some intricate thing, whether it's alabaster figures protruding from the walls, ornate marble columns or solid gold trim. The density of the church, with all the decorations, just make other cathedrals seem so barren and empty. The entrance was free - nice for your average broke college kid - but we waited in line for well over an hour to get inside. We also went underground, where the papal tombs are, including the last pope. Seeing the Vatican guards in their interesting costumes was well worth it. Google it, and you'll see what I mean.

The Other Cool Stuff
The city itself is littered with blatant Roman architecture. You could be blindfolded and dropped from the sky and within a minute's time, you'd be able to tell you're not only in Italy, but in Rome. Various fountains (Trevi Fountain being a perfect example) are scattered through the city and all reflect the Roman mythological gods and goddesses.

Pictures
I've got lots of them (and I do mean lots of them) here. My parents gave me an amazing camera for Christmas before we left, and as cool as it is taking pictures everywhere we go, it means I've got about 2000 pictures to sort through, print out, and organize into a photo album once we get back. Whew! But, on a side note, I'm having so much fun taking pictures across the world that I may just drop everything and become a travel photographer. Better yet, a travel photojournalist! Thoughts? :)

All in all, Rome has something for the history buffs and gelato lovers alike. If you're both, like me, it's beyond amazing. And tasty.

Ciao, mi amigos.
-Bana

Madrid

If I do say so myself, Madrid was a perfect choice to relax ourselves before we take off for Rome tomorrow. We've been here for a few days, and have pretty much seen everything worthwhile to see (at least to us, that is...). I'll post pictures and more than likely an extended post once we get back from Barcelona, but since that'll be a while, I decided to wrap up Madrid in a few 'graphs.

1. We visited Museo de Prado, which is pretty much THE art museum in Madrid. Saw some cool art, most notably the eerie works of Goya during his "Black Paintings" (Google Saturn Devouring Child; it's great). But, most of it was religious art, which doesn't really pique my interest the way modern art does.
2. Thus, I enjoyed Centro de Reino Sofia much better. Paired with Prado, it's pretty much one of the two best art museums in Madrid. Picasso and Dalí mostly headed up the huge modernist colection, and since we were able to see Picasso's "Guernica", it was well worth the money.
3. We toured the Royal Palace, "Palacio Real", which - suffice it to say - was lavish. So many tapistries, golden clocks, velvet-draped walls, original works of art(including a few original Stradivarious violins).
4. Took a stroll through Parque de Buen Retiro, one of the largest in Europe, and I believe, the world.
5. Our hostel truly rocks, but we´re in a room with all guys. Great.

That's pretty much it, and we're flying out to Rome tomorrow morning. We'll write more soon, but pictures might have to wait.

¡Hasta luego!
-Bana

Sevilla

First of all, sorry that you all had to wait so long for me to post about Sevilla. This week has been sort of a run from one thing to the next without stopping for too long kind of week. But anyway I’ll make it up with a really good post. So...Sevilla.

I can honestly say that I think Sevilla was absolutely my favorite Spanish city. The way the city blended its Muslim and Christian heritage and yet still made room for modern Spain was breathtaking. Walking through the downtown streets admiring the buildings you could actually see the differences in architecture on both sides of the street. On one side you could see the huge stone blocks making geometric shapes that signified the Christian Reconquista (Reconquest), and on the other side the brick-arch infusion reminiscent of the Muslim occupation. Then, after enjoying the fact that these two distinct types of architecture exist in the same place, you’re passed by the tram running straight through the center of the street, the hallmark of modern innovations in public transportation.

As you can see from our pictures, the architecture of the city was absolutely amazing. Of special note, and when talking about architecture, the Catedral in Sevilla is possibly one the most amazing feats of construction I’ve seen, considering the time period in which it was completed. As a little history, the Catedral began as a mosque during the Muslim occupation of Spain between 800-1200 A.D. For you conspiracy lovers out there, it is said to be built on one of the “most powerful sources of ancient magic.” However, given that it fell to the Christians in the 1200s (a short 50 years after it was built), I think it’s fairly obvious that this is only a myth. The Christians, as they did with almost every other Muslim building that they conquered, sought to redesign the mosque to suit the needs of a Christian congregation. Yet, before they could start the work, it seems that God intervened for them and parts of the Mosque were destroyed in an earthquake. When the decision was made to rebuild it as a cathedral, an anonymous monk was reputedly quoted saying, “Let us build a church so magnificent that our children will think us lunatics.” To say that they succeeded is an understatement.

The Catedral is the largest gothic cathedral in the world and has been almost completely converted from the original mosque. The only original part of the mosque is La Giralda, which is a massive tower whose domed roof collapsed during the earthquake and now exists as the belfry for the Catedral. The complex architecture that makes up the rest of the building is breathtaking, and you can actually see the different parts of the Catedral that have collapsed over time and been lavishly reconstructed. Also of note, inside the Catedral, we visted the Tomb of Cristobal Colón, a man you all probably know of as Christopher Columbus (in the pictures, the one with the four men carrying the casket).

But, although the Catedral is a masterpiece, directly across the street stands the Alcázar (originally from the Arabic word al-casr meaning the castle).

The Alcázar was the home to both the Muslim and Christian kings, and as such, is the textbook example of the infusion of Muslim and Christian culture. The building consists of two main parts: Palacio Mudéjar and Palacio Gótico. Palacio Mudéjar on the outside consists only of smooth brick walls, typical Arabic arches, and the occasional vaulted dome roof, but the inside is littered with grandiose tile work and elaborate arches. Again, however, after the Christian reconquest, they tailored the Palacio Mudéjar for a more Christian feel, so you’ll see a lot of shields over the archways and typical Christian engravings on the ceilings. In fact, that is why it’s called the Palacio Mudéjar, with mudéjar signifying the union of Christian and Muslim architecture (sorry for all the history, but I love this stuff…should have been an archeologist, haha just kidding).For a good look, there’s almost 30 pictures of the inside of this building.

The Palacio Gótico is constructed like the Catedral using giant stone blocks and forming exact geometrical shapes, a stark contrast to the smooth flow of the Mudéjar arches and domes. Inside are various tapestries depicting various scenes from the Bible, but the most intriguing one, we found, was a map created in the 13^th century of Spain and the northern part of Africa. What we found interesting was that Africa was on the top part of the map and Spain on the bottom, the exact opposite of a modern map. We realized shortly afterward that in the 13^th century, all of the maps were drawn from the perspective as if you were leaving Europe, the only known part of the world except for Asia.

Still here? Good! Because I’ve saved the best two things we did for last. The defining characteristics of Muslim castles and buildings are not only the staggering domes and arches, but the massive gardens of all types of flora and fauna (literary terms for plants and animals). We spent a solid hour and a half just wandering through the massive gardens of the Alcázar taking in the citrus blossoms of the orange trees and the fresh smells of spring awakening from the “long nap.” The sheer size and magnificence of the Alcázar gardens was worth the entire trip to Sevilla. You’ll just have to lose yourself in the pictures that we took, because I don’t want to cheapen the experience with my writing skills.

Now, I would be lying if I you told that all of this before hand was the best part of the trip for us. Given that we have a passion for the small things in life, not only the big tourist destinations, I can easily say that, for me, the best part of the trip was renting the two-seater bicycle and riding through the Parque de Maria Luisa. Even though it was only a ½ hour ride, it was a memory that I will never forget for the rest of my life, and I doubt that Bana will ever forget it either. The sheer tranquility of the park and the childhood memories of riding through the neighborhood on a bicycle came back and combined for an experience that was truly unforgettable.

Bueno, eso es Sevilla, una mezcla de las influencias musulmanas con las de los cristianos y con la edad moderna. Se puede perder todo el día por caminar a través de las calles magnificas o mirar las distintas arquitecturas de los edificios de tipo mudéjar. O, también, se pierde en los jardines del Alcázar o el parque de Maria Luisa. Lo que está claro es que Sevilla es una ciudad bellísima con experiencias inolvidables de tipo grande o pequeño y en cualquier situación que se encuentre.