Carnival

Carnival in Spain is highly talked about and one of the first recommendations I got from people in my community. Everyone here says you must experience Carnival in Spain and if you can, go to Cadiz. Well, fortunately for me I am living only 2 hours from Cadiz and if you remember it is the first place I visited after arriving in Spain. For the weekend I grabbed my friends, left my valuables behind, and headed to Cadiz for what quite possibly may have been the most rowdy experience of my life. Now that is saying a lot, because I did spend four years in San Francisco attending some of the most entertaining Love, Peace, and Gay Pride Parades.

Carnival in Cadiz is said to be the third largest Carnival celebration in the world (after Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad). Both European jet-setters and locals know and crave the intense energy that invades the city during the ten days leading up to Shrove Tuesday. It seems that everyone within a thousand-mile radius shows up to partake in the fun.

Many visitors like my friends and I, choose to sleep on park benches or stay up all night instead of booking hotel rooms.

From experiencing Cadiz before, it is a quiet and serene city on the Andalusian coast, except when it plays host to Spain's ultimate party. The fun began in the 17th century when the city of Cadiz tried to keep up with the decadent carnival celebrations in Venice and Genoa. Carnival was forbidden when Franco was in power and now it is back, stronger and bigger then ever.

As it often happens in Spain, preparations for Carnival seem a bit last-minute and haphazard, but everything comes together beautifully in the end. Garlands are hung across the tiny, twisting alleys, and street vendors set up their displays of toys and fruit just an hour or two before the party begins. Stages are set up in every plaza for musical acts, comedians and children's performances. And there are also rock concerts featuring some of Spain's most popular groups in the Plaza de Catedral.

Carnival may be the ultimate party all night but for those seeking more conventional pleasure, and for the families, the Carnival roster includes numerous parades, dancing children, exuberant costumes and beauty pageants during the day.

I had an amazing time dressing up with my friends, we flashed backed to 80’s Prom and found fabulous dresses. It was also a blast to see all the other creative and unique costumes that the Spanish come up with. I think a good comparison of the amount of people and the costumes is Halloween in the Castro District of San Francisco. The difference is there is a lot more entertainment and the people don’t get as drunk and out of control as they do on Halloween.

Amsterdam

The Sin City capital of the world

Flying into Amsterdam and looking out the airplane window I thought the neighborhoods from the air differed quite a bit from U.S. They are perfectly spaced out and even. But I still couldn’t quite put together what was SO different. Then I realized that everything was on water! You could see the strips of water running through like ribbons. I had forgotten that Amsterdam is below sea level.

Amsterdam is set up as canals, The houses line the streets and the street drops off into the canals, then it is repeated on the other side. These canals are situated around the entire city.
In my opinion Amsterdam in the winter time is a very dreary and colorless city. I saw many pictures on postcards however of Amsterdam in the spring and summer and everything was covered in flowers, especially tulips. I got to see and experience many of the tourist attractions that the city had to offer but i think in order to really see the beauty of the city I need to come back during the summer.

While in Amsterdam my friends and I took a canal boat tour through the entire city. It was also the mode of transportation we used to get to the different attractions. The way the houses are built right next to each other and on top of each other reminded me of San Francisco but the style and details were very unique.

From the canal boat tour we visited Anne Frank’s house. This experience was a little surreal. It was incredibly interesting to visit and walk through the annex in which her and her family lived in hiding for 2 years. Each room was very informative and displayed excerpts from her diary putting the situations and experiences into her own words. There were also video interviews being showed of childhood friends of Anne’s and one of the women that helped keep the family in hiding. Compared to the other activities in Amsterdam visiting the house was very sobering.

The next day we continued our canal boat transportation and visited the Van Gogh museum. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. Being able to see some of his most magnificent work up close was very inspiring. My favorite was the famous Sunflower painting. The Starry Night painting unfortunately was not on display in this museum.

We visited a flower market which are scarce in the winter but abundant in the spring and summer. I imagine the markets to be absolutely incredible when all the flowers are in full bloom, especially the tulips.

In the evening we went to the Red Light District. The Amsterdam Red Light District covers a large area of the oldest part of the city. The buildings are tall, thin and crowd together, overlooking the tree lined canals. The Amsterdam Red Light District is a beautiful area and the later it gets, the busier it gets. And the darker it gets, the more obvious the glow of the fluorescent red lights above the many windows in the area becomes. Dating back to the 14th Century when sailors arrived in need of some female company, the district is full of sex shops, brothels, gay bars, cinemas, hotels and different kinds of museums. While my friends and I were walking through the district and witnessing men enter rooms with women, I couldn’t believe I was in this infamous part of the city.

A bouncer to the bar Bananenbar let me take a peak into this place because I was standing there taking a picture of the sign. At first I was like “Why are you talking to me?” But then I realized he was just being friendly and was harmless. I peaked through the curtain covering the door and this is what I saw: Scarcely dressed girls acting as barmaids and sitting on a specially designed bar where they perform erotic tricks with .... bananas.

The girls pour the drinks and turn a variety of sexy tricks on request. The bouncer told me that visitors can tell what their special wishes are... The entrance is 40 euros for an hour and includes all your drinks, hence why I was only taking a peak through the door. After I felt that I had seen enough I thanked the bouncer for his ‘hospitality’ and then asked if there were any restaurants nearby that he recommended for dinner. My friends and I ended up at a quaint Thai restaurant under his advice.

I was told that although there is a lot of adult entertainment, it is much more then just a tourist attraction. This district of 300-year-old gabled buildings and expensive real estate houses doctors, lawyers and plenty of families. It is a tolerant community where freedom is highly valued.

Speaking of freedom... Not only is prostitution legal in Amsterdam but so is the buying, selling, and smoking of weed. Just walking down the streets of Amsterdam I could constantly smell marijuana. I was a little amazed I didn’t think it would be quite so public. I was talking to my friend Katelyn, probably rather loudly because I have a hard time whispering, and I was expressing how potent the smell was. A random Hollander on the street must have heard me because he grabbed my shoulder and got really close to my face. He said “Yes, it’s the smell of freedom!” Well I figured I’m only in Amsterdam once in my life why not indulge a little... All I have to say is if anyone visits Amsterdam, I recommend the Space cake.
This concludes my Amsterdam visit.

Peace Day (Dia de Paz)

Besides all the traveling I have been doing, a lot has been going on each week at school. The highly anticipated Peace Day arrived on January 30th. Leading up to the day in my English classes we had been talking about Peace in the United States. I decided to focus our studying on Martin Luther King because I considered Martin Luther King Day to be our equivalent in the US to Peace Day. In my older classes we read his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and parts of the speech were read at the school assembly, in English of course.

With my younger students we worked on constructing sentences about peace and we read peaceful quotes. These sentences were written on slips of paper and passed around to family members and people in the community on Peace Day. Some examples were: Peace begins with a smile. Peace is a two-way street. Peace be with you.

Also it was my responsibility to teach all my English classes the same song in English that would be sung at the all school assembly. Guadalupe and I listened to many songs trying to decide which one would be best for the students to learn and also that we could discuss and translate in class. At the top of the list was Imagine by John Lennon and Heal the World by Michael Jackson. Turns out Heal the World was chosen and ended up being a very good selection.

On the afternoon of Peace Day the sun was shining after a week of rain and the assembly was held outside. The entire school was lined up around the soccer field. Everyone sang a popular peace song in Spanish and then did a dance around the outline of the field. After we sang Heal the World. So many students were belting out the words and became very passionate about what they were singing. I think it really helped that we chose a song they could understand and relate to. I expected the whole day to be a little corny and over the top but I found that it was actually really beautiful. I was happy to be a part of the whole thing and I think everyday should be Peace Day! (they are wearing doves on their head).

Italy

Readers beware...this was a long and wonderful vacation with a lot to write about!

I flew into Pisa, Italy on Tuesday afternoon and spent the evening wandering the streets and eating alone. My first thoughts were, what the hell was I thinking traveling to a country all alone and not knowing more then 3 words of the language? I was very nervous and a little worried about figuring out the Italian train system the next morning and wishing I would have done a little more research before coming. I ate my first meal in Italy alone in a restaurant full of couples nuzzling each other and showing more public displays of affection then what I deem comfortable. I pointed to the pizza I wanted on the menu and smiled. I hand motioned for the check when I was finished and I said Ciao as I walked out the door. Sighing with relief I made it through alone. I went back to my hostel for the night, watched a little Italian MTV and went to bed.
The next morning I woke up extra early to get a glimpse of Pisa in the day before catching my train to Rome. My hostel was a 30 second walk from the Leaning Tower. As I came around the corner I was blown away. There is was. This famous landmark I have always heard about and I was actually standing in front of it! All my nervous and regretting thoughts of coming to Italy alone vanished and I was suddenly so excited. My heart was pounding and I was thinking, this is why I came to Italy. To see all these beautiful places.

Next, I had no problems figuring out the train, I found the hostel with ease, and a short time later Linda and I me up! From this point forward Italy was an absolute blast and an experience I will never forget. I have definitely decided that traveling with someone is 100% better then traveling alone. Yes, traveling alone can be peaceful and empowering, when all goes well. There were many times I was proud of myself for figuring things out and arriving safely to each destination. But no matter the problems encountered, trains missed, exhaustion, frustration, nerves, creepy hostels, or creepy people that cross our paths, when your with someone it is all something to laugh about later. Everything seems so much more minor.

The first afternoon in Rome we headed for the Villa Borghese and Borghese Gallery. Villa Borghese could be Rome’s version of Central Park and the museum is quoted as being “One of Europe’s most sumptuous art experiences.” There were paintings by Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian, and Rubens. The Baroque Sculptures were my favorite and the one that caught my eye the most was a statue of Apollo chasing Daphne. We were so impressed by the artwork and wanted to stand and stare at each masterpiece for longer then necessary. Little did we know we had only touched the surface of what Rome had to offer. Next we walked all around and saw the Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Venezia, the Spanish Steps, and Capitol Hill. (Picture of Spanish Steps)

We wound down the day with a delicious pasta meal and bottle of Chianti wine. The region of Italy we were in is known for its Chianti. Then we walked to the Trevi Fountain and ate Gelato on the steps and just stared. I feel like I did a lot of staring in amazement on this trip. Next, we participated in an age old tradition at the fountain, We stood at the edge of the fountain facing away from it and threw a coin over our shoulders. The idea isn’t to wish for love or luck, but the hope that one day you would return to Rome!

We started the next day early and ready to see as much as possible. We bought a Roma Pass which allowed us to ride the public transportation for free and get into all the places we wanted to see at a discounted price. Today we were tackling Ancient Rome. Ancient Rome consisted of The Colosseum, Arch of Constantine, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Pantheon.

There is so much to be said about Ancient Rome, i’ll start by stating the obvious...Man, is it OLD. It was just fascinating to be standing in the Colosseum and to know that a very sophisticated (if brutal) society watched complexly staged events there almost 2000 years ago. And in the Roman Forum, ancient Rome's downtown, orators were orating, judges were judging and Romans were buying and selling goods and services nearly 2500 years ago!

Even more amazing, the Roman Forum was almost completely buried until Napoleon's time (mid 1800s). The tops of columns and arches peaked out from the ground and after being buried for 2300 years somebody decided it might be a good idea to find out what was underneath the dirt. The Forum is a public area today so local Romans go there with their takeaway lunch or sit and read or tourist-watch while tourists like us marvel at the civilization of such an ancient society.

After our first long, full day of touring Rome we treated ourselves to more Chianti wine, olives, catching up, and people watching in the beautiful neighborhood of Campo de’ Fiori.

Our last day in Rome we headed to Vatican City. I was really wishing I could watch Angels and Demons again after visiting these places. We started out touring the Vatican Museum which had an excellent room full of ancient maps and a lot of Renaissance Art by Raphael and Constintine. (NOT the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel but a pretty ceiling)

Next, we saw the Sistine Chapel with Michalangelo’s ceiling and The Last Judgement painting. This room was absolutely spectacular and more impressive then I could ever describe to you. Next we went to St. Peter’s Square where the Basilica and obelisk are.

We climbed the dome for a panoramic view and saw Michelangelo’s Pietá painting.

Michelangelo becomes more and more amazing to me each place we go. His mind, beliefs, and thoughts are expressed through his artwork all over Italy.

We ended this day on a train from Rome to Florence.

We woke up in Florence and ready to tackle a new city. Florence was a much smaller and more charming city then Rome. Fo one thing we were able to walk everywhere we wanted to go instead of taking public transportation. We started the day at the Academia Museum where Michelangelo’s statue of David stands. David was absolutely breathtaking, he’s 14 feet tall and made from a single slab of marble. His muscles and detail were incredible and his stance and stare were powerful. This piece of art was one of my favorites I saw. He was so beautiful I developed a crush.

We climbed to the top of the Duomo of Florence and got a panaramic view of this city as well. Then we spent the majority of our day in the Uffitzi Gallery which is known to have the greatest collection of Italian paintings anywhere. It features works by Giotto, Leonardo, Raphael, Caravaggio, Rubens, Titian and of course Michelangelo. The gallery contained lots of busts and statues and presents, through the leaders of the day, the history of Rome. We followed Rick Steves' museum tour which gave just the right amount of history and allowed us to focus on the important statues and skip the rest. For us, the tour was critical as the statues can look pretty much all alike without some sort of guide.

Also in Florence we walked through shops and markets, went to Casa di Dante, Piazza della Signoria (which has the duplicate of the statue of David), and walked along the Palazzo Vechio. Again we had a delicious dinner with more wine and lots to talk about after everything we had seen together over the past few days.

The food I have to admit belongs on the highlight list. As a lover of Italian food and especially pasta (one time when we were younger my family did an experiment for how many nights in a row we could have pasta. I think after a month straight everyone was bailing except me). We had antipasti bars loaded with veggies soaked in olive oil, thin crust pizza straight from the oven at a little takeaway place, creamy gelato, al dente pasta loaded with marinara sauce or garlic oil, and lovely little pastries at a teeny tiny snack shop that also happened to make beautiful cappuccinos. The good food was never ending but thank goodness we walked our asses off for the entire trip.


We also had wonderful weather the entirety of the 6 days we were there with clear blue skies and crisp temperatures made warmer by the sun. All in all Linda and I really enjoyed our time in Italy . It was the perfect reunion for us and I couldn’t imagine having a better person to tour Italy with. This is a trip I will remember forever and I was so happy to share it with Linda.

I have many more photos in a facebook album if you wish to see more.

Three Kings Day (Dia de Los Reyes Magos)

While most of the world has already begun packing up the Christmas ornaments, throwing out the tree, and finding a place for all of their gifts, Spaniards are continuing the celebration. January 6, Three King’s Day, is the long awaited day in which the three Kings bring their gifts. In Spain this day is the equivalent to Santa coming on Christmas morning for us in the United States.

On January 5, children go to a parade where they see the three kings arrive to their city, and take the opportunity to ask them for gifts. I knew about the celebrations on this day but I had no idea to what extent they celebrated. I heard the music and cheers from inside my apartment blocks away. I quickly got ready and went out into the streets, only to find the entire town lining up along the sidewalks. How had no one told me about this!

My friend Tamia and I watched the parade and after I was invited to a family’s house that I tutor for.


Since La Palma is such a small town the Three Kings visit all the houses full of children throughout the night and give them their first gift. Then the children go to bed and wake up to the rest of their gifts in the morning. The family I celebrated with has 5 children (all under the age of 9). The Three Kings didn’t arrive at their house until 2 in the morning. We all waited up eating, singing Spanish Christmas carols, and playing games.


Families often have a typical dessert, the “Roscón de los Reyes”, a large ring shaped cake that is decorated with candied fruits, symbolic of the emeralds and rubies that adorned the robes of the Kings. It was exhausting but I felt like I truly experienced the holiday. When the kings, Mechior, Gaspar, and Balthasar finally arrived they were not alone. There were women with tambourine’s and drums and men singing that led the way. The whole experience was very fun and it made my relationship with the family much closer.