Eyjafjallajokull vs. Barcelona

OK now about Barcelona.

Going into this trip I had very high expectations. Good friends of mine as well as anyone I have talked to only had high praises of Barcelona. I was very excited to finally be visiting this cosmopolitan city. After getting a good nights sleep, Katelyn and I successfully met up with my sister. The first thing we did was introduce Shannon to the Bocadillo (a Spanish sandwich). Its so simple yet so delicious, and anyone who knows Shannon knows how much she loves a good sandwich. From there we spent the first day walking through Parc Guell and visiting the various Guadi houses. Parc Guell was my favorite part of Barcelona because it was spring time and everything was in bloom. It was a great opportunity to take photos.

My first impressions of Barcelona while walking around is that it is a densely packed city that shouts style. It also appeared to be a far cry from the fiesta-siesta lifestyle of Southern Spain that I was so accustom to. Barcelona has been breaking ground in art, architecture, and style for more than a century. From the Modernista architects led by Guidi to the adventurous redevelopments of Picasso and Miró.

At the end of the day we were back at the hostel waiting for my friend Morgan to arrive. We had all planned to meet in Barcelona and spend a long weekend together. After waiting and waiting, finding it very peculiar that Morgan hadn’t arrived and that we hadn’t heard from her I went to check my email. Sure enough I had a message from her. Apparently the volcano, Eyjafjallajokull,
that erupted in Iceland was canceling flights all across Europe. Morgan was stuck in Germany.

We first found out about the ash cloud while in the Sevilla airport because so many flights in other countries were being delayed and canceled. I just figured it was because so many flights that had to go through Iceland were backing up all the other flights. We hardly batted an eyelash as we thought there was no way it would affect us. Silly, stupid mortals. Of course it would. It would spread and settle and infiltrate its way pretty much all across Europe, stranding thousands and frustrating even more. But at the time I never thought it wouldn’t allow Morgan to get to Spain. Little did we know that Morgan not making it here was only the beginning of our Volcano troubles.

We were all very disappointed that our plans of meeting up were ruined thanks to Mother Nature but we continued with our sight-seeing. The next day I realized how Barcelona really does contain some of the world’s most bizarre architecture. We marveled at Gaudi’s still-unfolding masterpiece the Sagrada Familia church.

We did a lot more walking around and sight-seeing and also visited the Picasso Museum displaying much of his earlier work. It was this day, Saturday, that Shannon found out her return flight to Ireland was canceled. It kinda felt like we were cartoon characters being followed by a thick, ominous gray cloud because of all the bad luck we were having on this trip. Shannon was very freaked out by the prospect of not being able to return to Ireland as scheduled and even more so as we found out that airports might be closed for up to a week. I kept trying to remind her that there are much much much worse things in the world than being stuck in Barcelona for a few days extra days. Luckily she was able to stay with her study abroad friends once Katelyn and I left.

However, for a period of time Katelyn and I as well weren’t sure if we would be able to get home. All airports in Europe were closed for a short time. On Sunday the Barcelona airport was opened back up but it still showed our flight home early Monday morning as being delayed. Needless to say we were all on edge about when and how we would be getting home. A lot of time was spent on the internet looking for the latest airport updates and watching the news about all the damage this volcano, that no one can pronounce, was making.

We decided to forget about all of our troubles and go out one night. We took Shannon to a delicious paella place for dinner right by the beach. We stuffed ourselves with rice and sangria and then went out to a club and danced until morning (thats the spanish way). Shannon unfortunately ate too much paella as i mentioned in a previous entry and ended up watching Katelyn and I dance but I think a fun time was had by all.

Unfortunately most of Sunday was spent inside and trying to figure out if and when we could get home. Because of this there were lots of sights left unseen. As Sunday evening approached Katelyn and I were still unsure if our flight was departing early the next morning. We decided to go to the airport and carry on as if it wasn’t delayed and see what happens. Remember how I said the airport Katelyn and I flew in and out of was about 45 minutes outside the city? Well for us this meant catching a bus at 4 in the morning to get to the airport in time for our 6am departure time (And yes I was sure it was 6am and not 6pm this time!). In the middle of the night I said goodbye to my sister, told her to enjoy her extra time in Barcelona and to go see all the things I wasn’t able to. (One of the houses Guidi designed).

Katelyn and I headed to the airport with our fingers crossed that our flight would be on time. We both had work to be at that morning and we were cutting it close as it was. (Our flight is the only one NOT canceled!)

Finally something on this trip went our way and our flight was scheduled to take off as planned. Sitting on the plane, drifting in and out of sleep as we were flying over Spain I was realizing how much of an adventure this weekend had been. I realized that the world is so much smaller than I could have ever imagined and I also learned that good company can make a seemingly horrible and frustrating situation perfectly fine. I don’t know what I would have done without Katelyn at my side through every leg of this journey and it is always comforting to have my sister with me. So disaster or delight I can always say to Katelyn or Shannon “Hey remember that trip we took to Barcelona?!”

My LOVE/HATE relationship with Ryanair

I’m not sure how best to describe Barcelona, either delight or disaster! Don’t get me wrong the city was a delight but the traveling part of the trip was a disaster. Before I tell you about my weekend I first must explain to you the phenomenon of cheap flights via the airline, Ryanair.

Ryanair claims that it is the best thing to happen to the British consumer since sliced bread. This is quite a strong claim by the company many hate but still fly. I am one of those people. I absolutely despise Ryanair but without it I would not have become quite the jet-setter I have the past year. Ryanair may have revolutionized the pricing of planes and therefore how we travel around Europe but it definitely has its downside. The truth is never quite what it claims and the prices are never quite what they seem. Pay 5 euros for the flight and the outrageous, rip-off of taxes, credit-card processing, and baggage handling will ramp up the costs before you can say 1-2-3.
As long as everything goes perfectly from the very beginning, the moment you choose your flight, then you can get from point A to point B easily and cheaply. I know this for a fact because I have successfully flown with Ryanair to London, Italy, Ireland, and Valencia. But as soon as you have a tiny problem (ie. you can’t print your boarding pass, you can’t fit all your luggage in a small enough carry on) then small fees start to incur. Basically the only thing they aren’t charging you for at this point is to pee during the flight but there is actually a rumor that the charge is being implemented. So what’s next? Paying for your seatbelt or oxygen mask?
It is not uncommon to be sitting at your gate for a Ryanair flight and seeing people all around you putting on 3rd and 4th layers of clothing just so they can get away with only having the one carry on luggage limit (I always picture Joey in the friends episode where he puts on all of Chandler's clothes and says "Could I be wearing any more clothes?"). On numerous occasions I have seen passengers have to fork over 35 euros at the last minute because their luggage exceeds the small luggage limit that is allowed. It is also not uncommon to see people lining up at the gate for their flight up to an hour ahead of time because it is first come first serve seating, similar to Southwest Airlines in the US.

I have to admit I have either fallen victim to many of Ryanair’s ridiculous fees or I have been seen wearing 2 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, a winter coat, and 2 scarfs, just so that I can board the plane. But the worst thing that has happened to me when preparing to board a Ryanair flight is discovering that my flight number didn’t match the one that was leaving. When arranging my plans to fly to Barcelona my friend and I were booking our tickets online. Barcelona has one airport right in the city that is very convenient but more expensive to fly in and out of. Not only that, but Ryanair doesn’t fly into this airport. Ryanair uses the 2 airports Reus and Girona, that are at least 45 minutes outside the city. This doesn’t have to mean an expensive cab ride because there is also a bus into the city that directly correlates with the flights.
So let me put this into perspective for you. First, I found an incredible 5 euro flight to Barcelona and an equally incredible one from Barcelona back to Sevilla. After clicking on the flight I am immediately charged 15 euros for taxes. That is no big deal, 20 euros each way, 40 euros round trip. Still a better deal then I could find on any other airline. At this point as long as I check in online, on time, have all my information correct on my boarding pass and don’t have an oversized carry on bag, then I’m still only paying 40 euros. What they don’t tell you is that the bus each way from the airports out in the middle of nowhere are 10 euros. And in my friend and mines case, if you miss that bus in the middle of the night then you are stranded at a deserted airport or you are forking up 100 euros for a taxi.

Anyways, back to realizing I had the wrong flight number on my boarding pass. My boarding pass had been stamped and approved, I had been given the go ahead to make my way through security, when I realized my flight information was not matching up with my friend Katelyn’s. How did the lady miss this? I ask the lady at the Ryanair check in desk about it and she rips the ticket from my hand, yells at me that my ticket is for a flight that left that morning, and tells me I can’t get on this flight. That is another thing about Ryanair, they have no customer service. So I can’t get on this flight, I have a woman screaming at me, and all I can think about is how my sister will be waiting for me in Barcelona the next morning. I completely shut down. Luckily for me though, my friend Katelyn takes charge. We find out that NO I can’t just exchange my ticket for a different one, no I can’t pay in cash to book a spot on this flight, no I can’t give them my mom’s credit card number to pay for the flight....WAIT how much are you charging me for this flight? It turns out that the incredible 5 euro ticket deals are only offered for a limited time and can only be purchased online. If I want to get on this flight, I need to pay the full ticket price, which is about 15x what I originally paid. Katelyn and I take care of it. The ticket is paid for. I can’t not get on this plane.
Now supposedly what happened is I wanted to book at ticket for the 10pm flight to Barcelona but somehow booked the 10am one that had already left that morning. What’s completely ridiculous is after everything this year, living in a foreign country, dealing with the language barrier and getting by on my Spanish skills, what this error came down to was an error of numbers, which are the same in every language.
After having time to think about this and even researching into Ryanair a little online. I have read many horror stories of similar and worse situations happening to passengers at the last minute when they are attempting to fly Ryanair. Because when forced to make a decision at the last minute, who wouldn’t pay to get on the flight? Who would turn around, go home, and cancel all their travel plans? So I will never know if it was my error because I was rushed and nervous when booking the ticket or if I fell victim to another one of Ryanair’s schemes to get money from its passengers?

Valencia

The next weekend my travel partner, Katelyn, and I went to Valencia. Valencia is located on the Eastern coast of Spain. This was my first trip within Spain but outside of Andalucia.

It is a beautiful city with an interesting past, but most importantly it is a city charging into the future. It has innumerable cool bars and cafes, it has the architecturally stunning building of Arts and Sciences and best of all is home to the paella dish.

The Arts and Sciences building is like something right out of Minority Report. Valencia is the only city to have the vision of creating this Arts and Sciences mecca with its spectacular futuristic layouts, concepts and contents. On the inside the buildings resemble OMSI, the Portland Children’s Museum, Montaray Bay Aquarium and Florida’s Seaworld all in three buildings next to each other. These concepts are more recent in Spain and people come from all over for their family vacations to visit the new center.

The first thing we did when we arrived in Valencia was take a bus tour of the city. I think when traveling, if there is time, taking a bus tour of the city is always a good idea. You get a good feel for the layout of the city as well as an opportunity to see all the main sights and then you can go back and fully tour the one’s that interest you the most.

Katelyn and I spent a day in a half touring the most interesting places and then we spent a day on the beach. This was the first time ever dipping my toes in the Mediterranean Sea!
What we found on the nearly deserted beach was a few naked Spanish women and nearly naked us. As the day grew warmer more tourists dotted the beach, most of them topless regardless of age or shape. So this is what the Mediterranean brings, nudity. Small price to pay to view the expanse of tropical water as far as the eye can see?

The only thing I really knew about Valencia going into this trip was it is home of the Spanish rice dish, Paella. Valencia is the place where paella first simmered over a wood fire. Let me tell you, I found it to be delicious. Paella consists saffron flavored rice with chicken, pork, chorizo, seafood or vegetables. When you find a scrumptious dish you can bet its perfectly seasoned and served on a sizzling plate topped with toasted garlic and savory gravy. In fact it was so appetizing and mouthwatering we found ourselves going back again the next night. They serve the paella in one huge pan based on the amount of people it is serving.

(Small sidenote: When I met up with Shannon in Barcelona I wanted to make sure she tried some of my favorite Spanish dishes. So one of the nights we went out for Paella. Shannon ate so much paella she was sick for the rest of the night and had to sit out all of the dancing at the discoteca).
P.S. Thanks to Guadalupe's husband I have learned how to prepare Paella and I will be making it upon request after my return home.

My Mullet

Recently I have been getting many questions as to why the sudden change in hairstyle. I can understand why people would be curious as to why I went from long curly locks to short straight ones. Well it has taken me quite some time to come to terms with my new hairstyle and I am still not sure how I feel about it. Some friends have already read this note and I recieved good feedback from it so I decided to share it with anyone who keeps up with my blog.

So I originally wrote this note while sitting in one of my sisters lectures at UCD, some sports management class, surrounded by fellow red heads and beautiful accents... I was trying to find some humor in my current situation/ newest bout of bad luck.

Now I would like to share this story with you... I like to call it, My Mullet.
I went in for a haircut about a month in a half ago. All I wanted was a trim. Basically she did a horrible job and the layers were all f***ed up but then I broke my foot and wasn't capable of getting it fixed.

Then, finally able to walk on my own again, I venture back to the salon. Let me remind you I live in a small town and my choices are limited... Having said that I still don't know why I take my business back to the same place.

Anyways, I told her in the best spanish i'm capable of, that I wanted the layers fixed and one part to be blended into the rest of my hair better. I also told her I didn't want it any shorter. I'm not really sure what happened next, its all a blur, but I left the salon with a mullet. So i'm thinking "what does this say about my Spanish skills?"

To give you a visual... I look like a dyke who lives in a trailer park with her girlfriend.
Pre, My Mullet phase, When I thought of the mullet what came to mind was an American icon. The Mullet is just about as American as pick-ups with rifle racks, tractor pulls, Wal-Mart, wet T-shirt contests, slapping your girl upside the head with a frying pan, oh and living in the woods.

For awhile I was horribly unhappy with how it looked, but luckily enough the rat tail in the back was long enough to pull up into a bun. When i took my hair down to show Shannon while I was in Ireland she began rolling on the ground in laughter saying "It's SO much worse then I imagined..." Oh great, Thanks Shannon!

Needless to say there were tears shed and some epic "80s rock" photos taken.
I kept thinking it was too bad I didn't have an AC/DC or Bob Seger concert to go to because I would definitely have been the "belle of the ball." I did consider taking some friends' advice and "rocking" the mullet or at least letting it loose and taking it for a test drive. I do have to admit that the business in the front, party in the back idea is appealing. Anyways here's a taste: (thanks to Linda for Photoshop help! and yes thats my real hair.)


So now I have it cut extremely short because I told the hairdresser in Ireland to do whatever it took to get rid of the mullet.... Good thing hair grows, right?

Field Trip

Mid-week I was asked to come along as a chaperon on the field trip to visit the Roman town of Italica and then to visit a couple landmarks in Sevilla. Both 3rd grade classes and both 4th grade classes went on the trip.

I was very excited to be asked to chaperon because they were going to a few places I had not yet seen and secretly those are some of my favorite classes!

It was a good experience walking around with the Spanish teachers because they were eager to introduce me to the new places and tell me about all of them. The students were thrilled to have me along and I always had children hanging on me and wanting to be my "walking buddy".

First we went to Italica, which is a really small town full of Roman ruins.

Then we went into Sevilla where we walked up the Giralda Tower which I had done during my first 2 weeks when I stayed in Sevilla. We toured the cathedral, which is the 3rd largest cathedral in Europe. Christopher Columbus’ tomb is inside among many famous pieces of artwork by Murillo and Picasso.

We went to Plaza de Espana ate lunch and walked around taking pictures.
Then we walked through the park where a freak rainstorm sprung upon us and we all rushed into a nearby gazebo. It was kind of like that scene in the Sound of Music when Liesl Von Trapp and the Soldier sing "Sixteen going on Seventeen".

Except in this instance there were 60+ people packed into the gazebo, not 2 romantics. Everyone, teachers and students, began clapping, which was followed by the singing of a traditional Andalucian song. They would take turns dancing Sevilliano (typical dance in this region) in the middle.

Its in these moments that I feel so absolutely content living here. What could have been a miserable 30 minutes where we are all wet, tired, and trapped in a small space together, turned into the best part of the trip. I clapped along with everybody and was even dragged into the middle for a few dance steps while everyone chanted Olé !

Ireland

After five weeks of recuperating from my broken foot, I thought the cast would come off and I would hit the ground running... Well I wasn’t able to run, not in the literal sense at least. I actually couldn’t even walk and I needed the crutches still. But ever since I was given the go ahead by both my doctor and Guadalupe I have been go-go-go and trying to make up for lost time. (Me being escorted by wheelchair through the airport).

The first thing I did was hop a plane to Ireland for some sister time. I was fortunate enough to visit Ireland twice; first for St. Patrick’s Day + weekend and then again for my Spring Break. In total I spent about 12 days with Shannon in Ireland. We stayed together in her dormroom/apartment at the University College of Dublin.

She has quite the set up there and I met some of her friends. I also have to give credit to Shannon because not only was she a great hostess and made me some of my favorite meals from home that I haven’t had since August, but she was also a really good tour guide.

I have always wanted to visit Ireland and I think once you see my photos you will see why. The city is classic, and the countryside was exactly how I pictured it; lush and green. I immediately fell in love with the accent and felt like my pale-skin, red-headed self fit right in. I had never seen so many redheads before in my life.

St. Patrick’s Day consisted of a party in the streets that in comparable to Love Parade in San Francisco. We danced, drank and partied with the Irish until our little hearts content.

For a couple of the days in Ireland I was still on crutches, so we kept the walking to a minimum. Attempting to tour the city on crutches was a huge pain in the ass and my hands were blistered. But it all became worth it when we got to skip 2 hours worth of lines at the Guiness Factory and allowed inside immediately.

Other then the Guiness Factory, our Dublin tour included St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Trinity College to see the book of Kells, Live music and entertainment on Grafton Street, Temple Bar, relaxing in a coffee shop to escape the rain, Pub hopping with more live music (which was my favorite part) and most importantly... the best 7 euros Shannon ever spent in The National Leprechuan museum. (Picture of St. Patricks Cathedral).

The Leprechuan Museum was quite hilarious and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Shannon so excited. With Shannon’s experience, knowledge, and personal connection to the Leprechuan world she knew more information then our guide and would enthusiastically call out the answers to his questions. (Shannon = Leprechaun).

Personally, I think she would have given a better tour. In the museum our journey began with a look at representations of the leprechaun through the ages. We explored the relationship between landscape, folklore, story-telling and magic. We were told to expect the unexpected as we moved through the playful and fascinating world of the leprechaun. Here are pictures from Shannon’s journey: (Shannon making herself at home).

(Making her way through the rainbow)


(Trying to get to the pot of gold)

(Sad because she didn't get the pot of gold...so we got treats instead!)

Shannon and I took 2 day tours together. The first was to Dublin Bay and Malahide Castle. Then the second was a day trip to the Cliffs of Moor and made stops along the way to see castles, cemetery's, and the city of Galway. The trip to the Cliffs of Moor belongs on my top 10 list for this year. Much of the day we spent driving through the beautiful countryside, listening to Irish music, and then enjoying the spectacular view of the cliffs.
(Cliffs of Moor)

For part of my time in Dublin my friend Katelyn joined Shannon and I for some touring and then I was also able to meet up with a friend from home, Morgan, on St. Patrick’s Day. Overall, I felt like the trip was too short and Ireland is definitely a place I want to return to someday. It was also an incredible feeling to finally see my sister after so long and it still hasn’t hit me that we were both in Europe, in Ireland, TOGETHER!