Ole! Bull Fight in Madrid

This past weekend I went to my first and probably last Spanish bullfight. I forgot to blog about it because the week just got the best of me with midterms and all so I’m writing about it now.

One of my good friends here, Syd, lives right by the bullfighting ring so she bought our tickets ahead of time and we just paid her back which was nice because it was a lot faster to go and know that we for sure had seats. We got the cheapest seats up the highest but it ended up working out because it’s apparently better to be higher up if you don’t see all the gore.

In a Spanish bullfight they end up killing 6 bulls in total and it is a big production. The Matadors also get better with each bull so to have a grand finale I assume or whatnot. I only watched 2.5 bulls, and that was plenty enough. The first thing they do is release the bull and then have it run around. The Toreadors taunt it with their hot pink cape-y things, which the bull seems to be attracted to/aggravated by. Every time the bull runs through or near a cape-y thing the entire stadium yells “Ole!” (with an accent on the ‘e”, I don’t know how to do that one my computer). The Toreadors wear bright neon colors heavily decorated and embroidered. They all wear hats and tights and little black slippers. I saw many lose their shoes and their hats during the show. The outfits were actually really cool and surprisingly flattering. I never would have guessed sequins and neon on a man would look so good. 

Bull Ring/Stadium

After the bull is taunted for a bit, multiple Toreadors try to stab the bull with these red marker thing. The marker is for making a hole in the bull’s back that will eventually be where the Matador stabs a sword into it.

Toredor getting the bull all fired up. Note the blood

After at least one marker (they usually have multiple) is stabbed into the bull this guy riding a horse comes around and starts to stab the bull where the marker is to make the hole bigger. The horse is super armored up (as it has to be just in case a bull rams into it or something, which happened while I was there) and blindfolded and I saw it actually fall over and I didn’t think it would get back up because the armor looked so heavy. This is the part were the bull really starts to bleed.

Then the Matador comes out into the center of the ring and does a slow twist around the stadium taking his hat off and bowing for applause from the crowd. The Matador is the most skilled of the Toreadors from what I witnessed and like I said above, it is his job to stab a sword all the way into the bull where the hole was made. I’m assuming that the sword goes into the bull’s spinal cord and this is what leads to the bull’s eventual death. Anyways, before he Matador sticks the sword into the bull he make him run around him very closely and makes a big show of it. Everyone yells “Ole!” which each successful attempt at making the bull run by the hot pink cape

Matedor, notice the fanciness

dragging off the first dead bull, this took only a few seconds and I found it to be morbidly quick

Taunting the bull

The horse guy

you can see the red markers in this one

getting ready to put the sword in its spine

Me at the Bull Fight

The first Matador we saw was obviously not very good because the bull actually ran him down to the ground and was ramming his horns into him. It was quite frightening. I was actually scared he might be seriously injured and after witnessing this my friend Tyler decided he had to leave because it was just too much.
The Matador ended up being fine and they killed the bull successfully. I don't think the bull ever wins. After the bull is stabbed with the sword he is run around for a bit and then he eventually falls over and they stab him in the head with a small sword or something (I was too high up to actually see) and then he dies. Then they cut off his ears (some type of spanish tradition) and drag him away quickly with this horse drawn cart thing. It's all pretty morbid. Then they just grate the sand of all the blood and start with another bull.
It was definitely an interesting experience but I think one time was enough. I'm glad I went though because bull fights are already starting to be outlawed in parts of Spain (they are no longer allowed in Barcelona) so it may be the end of an era.

Paris, Day 3: Top of the Eiffel, Notre Dame Cathedral and Eiffel at Night

Samantha and I really wanted to go to the top of the Eiffel tower so despite being sleep deprived we decided to get up at 730/8 a.m.-ish and try get to the Eiffel Tower right when it opened at 9 am. Tyler didn’t want to go so he said he would meet us at Notre Dame later in the day and just sleep until then.

We made it to the Eiffel probably around 9:45/10am and there was already a substantial line formed. We didn’t care because we knew we wanted to see the top no matter what. It moved quickly but lines were the trend at the Eiffel. You had to wait in line to go through a security sensor, then wait in line again to get a ticket, then wait in line for the elevator to the middle floor, then wait in line again for another elevator to the top. Every elevator was packed and French people don’t smell very good so it was a bit painful but definitely worth it.            

Half way to the top of the Eiffel Tower

Top of the Eiffel Tower, a little bit scary and alot a bit freezing but..

Amazing view of Paris

The view from the top was gorgeous but both Samantha and I were freaking out at how high it was so we were ready to go back down pretty quickly. I’m so glad I went but I don’t think I’d ever go up again. It was too touristy, too many (smelly and pushy) people, and a little bit freezing. The view of Paris from the top was lovely though.

After we did the Eiffel Tower tour we were going to meet Tyler at Notre Dame Cathedral at 12:30/1ish.

We go there at about 12:45ish, and the cathedral was packed. We didn’t know how we were going to find Tyler and neither of us had working phones at this point. Samantha’s was out of money and mine was just not working for an unknown reason. We waited until 1:15 and then just decided we weren’t going find him and we went into the Cathedral. We later found out that he got there right about the time we went into the Cathedral and then he went into the Cathedral right about the time we got out of it.

The stained glass was lovely but it was a dark day so it wasn’t as glorious as it could have been. The building was very pretty though. Even though I’ve seen tons of old churches here it still blows my mind how old and detailed they all are. 

Outside Notre Dame Cathedral

The rose window that Notre Dame is famous for

More lovely stained glass

      After Notre Dame we tried again in vain to find Tyler and then decided we wanted crepes. Neither of us had had a French crepe yet and we heard they were amazing. We both got banana and nutella crepes and they were pretty much to die for. I think I’m obsessed with all French foods because their staple items are pastries, bread, chocolate, wine, and cheese. Basically everything really delicious and all a girl could want.

My first crepe experience, banana and nutella, yummy!

After the crepes we went around a shopping area and went to a few souvenir shops. It had started raining and we stupidly forgot our umbrellas at the hotel thinking we wouldn’t need then and not wanting to carry anything extra so we just kept store hoping. Eventually we found a McDonald’s and we both needed to use the bathroom so we figured that would be the easiest place to go. Its practically impossible to find a bathroom for free in Europe, even public bathrooms on the street you sometimes have to put a few euros in. Bathrooms and drinking water are two things that you can never find that I miss about the U.S. Water fountains do not exist in Europe as far as I’ve seen. 

Since we were already in McDonald's we decided to try the McBaguette, the exclusive French McDonald's signature sandwich. Its basically french bread, a hamburger patty, french cheese, french mustard and lettuce. It was really good. 

    From one of my trendy friends’ at schools’ suggestion we went to this area called La Marais that was sopposed to have good, cheap shopping. I found a cute grandpa sweater in a vintage store for 10 euros and got it. Its pretty and pastel colors and grandpa sweaters are in this season so I’m excited to wear it. They also had a good selection of vintage real fur coats and I’m kind of regretting not getting one. Most of them were only 35 euros. Oh well.

Check out this McDonald's in Paris, its like a cafe!

Muffins and Macarrones in a Parisian McDonald's

McBaguette, Paris's signature sandwich

 After all of that Samantha and I took the metro back to the hotel and hoped we would find Tyler because we didn't have the room key and we had no idea where he was there. He was in the room making pasta and he told us he basically did exactly what we did all day minus going to the top of the Eiffel Tower. we must have just missed him at Notre Dame.
    Since we planned ahead we all go dressed up to go out and then took the metro to downtown Paris pretty early. We all wanted to see the Eiffel Tower all lit up because it is sopposed to be amazing at night so we stopped there first. It was absolutely stunning. It really is very romantic and sparkley and pretty. We took some cute pics.

All of us at the Eiffel Tower at night

Its so lovely at night, I can see why this is the city of love and romance

    After that we went to a few bars and then just came back home in a taxi. We were all exhausted from the weekend and had to get up early for our flights tomorrow but I had a great time. Paris was beautiful in everywhere and I'm so glad I got to see it and would love to go back in the future.

Paris, Day Two: Arch de Triomph, Eiffel Tower, and the Lourve

The next morning Tyler and I woke up around 12 pm when he got a phone call from Samantha, who was going to be meeting us and staying with us at the hotel. I booked the hotel for two people and there were only two tiny beds, but to save money we decided all three us could rough it for two nights. Samantha said she was taking the metro and would be at the hotel in 30 minutes. Tyler and I got dressed and decided to go get breakfast/lunch while we waited for her to get here. There was a bread place/bakery across the street that I had read about in all the reviews of the hotel as being really good so we went there. I got this baguette, which was the size of my forearm, for only 4.50 euros. Pretty good for Paris. 

First French baugette, so good. there are breads and baugettes all over Paris.

 By the time we got our food and started eating it it had already been over and hour and Samantha told us she was only 30 minutes away an hour ago. Tyler tried to call Samantha again but his phone wasn't working and mine unfortunately wasn't working either so we were a little bit worried. We knew finding the hotel would be difficult but we had hoped it was going to be easier for her because she was finding it during the day. After we both ate we walked back to the hotel and much to our relief she had just got there. She was flustered and trying to check in but she forgot my last name. I was a little worried she might do that because I knew we were over-booking our room with people and that was kind of illegal so I thought we might get in trouble or be forced to buy another room.
When Samantha was checking in the receptionist said "there are already two people in this room so you can't sleep here" and in my mind I'm like "oh shit. were in trouble." but then Samantha was like "well can I just sleep on the floor? I don't mind." and the receptionist just laughed at her. Then luckily for us again, the receptionist was very nice and said to us in a whisper "I dont care if you all three sleep in the room, just go up there quickly and don't tell anyone". That was such a relief for me because I already felt bad booking the hotel in a really hard to find area and then making Samantha travel the metro to get here and then walk for over an hour to find the place; I would have felt so awful if she couldn't stay with us.
    After she got settled and ate we decided to finally go out and explore Paris. We had a map from the hotel and I suggested we went to the Arch de Triomph first just because it is one of the those uniquely Parisian things in every Paris movie and kind of cool.

Here is a pic of us by the Arch de Triomph

Ceiling at the Arch de Triomph

French Independence

 Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

After that we decided to walk to the Eiffel Tower. That was a mistake. Samantha and I were both struggling. She was tired from the long morning walk to the hotel and I was tired from yesterday, walking back and forth from school twice, walking to and thru the airport, and walking around all night trying to find a non-existent McDonald's. When we finally did see it, it was amazing. It was so huge and lovely. Not quite the color I expected, it was more coppery but I thought it would be goldish.

First sighting of the Eiffel Tower

 Gorgeous Panoramic of Paris, we got so lucky being in Paris on a perfect fall day

Samantha and I both had our hearts set on going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Tyler didn't really care to, but when we saw the line we decided it would be better to go the next day. After that we got some drinks somewhere just to rest our feet and then took a metro to the Louvre which was stunning from the inside and out. It is in its own little Plaza which itself is a lovely building and then the glass pyramid that you always see with the Lourve is also really pretty. All the architecture on the inside is amazing too. Of course our first stop when we got in there was the Mona Lisa, the main attraction of the Louvre, though it is filled with countless masterpieces.

The Lourve

Me outside the Lourve

Mona, as you can see below, was surprisingly tiny and covered with what I'm sure is bulletproof glass. It had a huge crowd around it. It was cool to see but not my favorite thing in the Lourve. Apparently it is only so famous because it has been stolen so many times.

 Saw the Mona Lisa, it was suprisingly tiny

Loved this painting. Lady Liberty Leading the People, probably the most famous painting about the French Revolution, a symbol of patriotism for France

The Lourve had amazing artwork and it was soo HUGE! We had asked a guy earlier that day about it and he told us we needed a whole day there and I can see why. We got there around 8pm but probably left at 9:30ish because the Lourve is free for students from 6 to 10 pm on fridays, which was amazing because it has to be one of the, if not THE best art museum in the world. I feel like I will have to go back there again at somepoint in my life and re-explore it all.
After the Lourve we were all tired so we decided to go back to the hotel. We ordered dinner from the front desk and it wasn't that great but we only paid about 5 euros a piece for it so we couldn't expect much.
We tried to go out that night and find a bar by where we were but we failed. There were no bars in the area that we could find and no bars that any of the parisians we asked knew of. There were bars in Central Paris, but our bus station closed at 10:30 and it was already after 12 so we didn't know how we got back. All of us were also really tired and Samantha and I could barely walk because our feet hurt so bad. Tyler was unaffected by all of the day's walking. We decided we would plan ahead and definitely go out the next night.

Paris, day one: Traveling to Paris

This weekend (Thursday night thru Sunday) I went to Paris, France for the first time ever. Tyler and I got to our hotel first on thursday night and Samantha would be coming on Friday because she booked a flight with a different airline. Our flight came in at 10ish and we had no idea how to get to the hotel. We tried to get a metro ticket, but when we got to the metro station at the airport they kept making announcements about the metro closing soon and we were nervous and didn’t want to get trapped somewhere so we ended up just taking a taxi. In retrospect I’m really glad we did because even if we did take the metro it was very dark and our taxi driver even had a hard time finding the hotel.

            I booked the hotel and I had read that it was in a new area but it had really good reviews and was relatively inexpensive so I thought it should be fine (it ended up being a really nice place and our room came with dishes, a dishwasher, a stove and a microwave plus a heated towel rack and had lovely receptionists’ at the front desk but it proved to be very difficult to get there for both Tyler and I and Samantha). When we got to the hotel it was close to 11 pm and Tyler and I were both so hungry. We had gone straight to the airport from school and neither of us had really eaten dinner. We were hoping we could find something by the hotel so we asked the receptionist. He told us he could order us food but we were told him that was ok, because we thought it might be easier to just go out and get something. We ended up wandering to this bar 3 or 4 blocks from our hotel and asked some locals if they knew where a McDonald’s was. They pointed down the street to the right and said it was just passed three round-about. About two miles and at least an hour of walking later, we found no McDonald’s and were still very hungry and I was pretty maxed out on walking and limping badly.

By now it was about 12:45/1amish and we had walked back to the direction of the hotel. We decided to walk in the opposite direction just to see if we went the wrong way and sure enough, there was a freaking McDonald’s like 4 blocks in the opposite direction from our hotel. We were both so mad, and it was closed so we were depressed. We then just walked back to the hotel told the receptionist our story and he asked us again if we wanted to order food from this company. The first time when we said no we were just confused because we though he said it closed at 11pm and it was just after 11 when we first got there. The receptionist clarified though and said that this company would deliver until 3 am right to the hotel. So we were both kicking our selves for not doing that right off the bat. We ordered food right then and there and he said it would take about 30 minutes and he would call our room when it got here.

So we went up to the room, changed, watched T.V. and got settled and waited for 45/50 mins. It would about 2 am when we decided to go back down there and figure out what was going on. Before we got down there Tyler and I both agreed that if it wasn’t coming we would just go to bed hungry. We were both more tired than hungry anyways so we didn’t want to stay up any later just to eat. The receptionist said he’d call again for us and the food place said our food would arrive in another 15 minutes if we still wanted it and we told him it was ok.

We were starting to walk towards the elevator to just go upstairs and back to bed when the front desk receptionist stopped us and told us to wait and he went to a little room on the side. Tyler and I were both very confused but we waited. When he came back he had a plastic bag and said there were croissants from tomorrow’s breakfast and his own cheeseburger that we could have to eat because he felt bad for us. It was so nice we were both embarrassed. We told him we would be ok without food tonight and that he could keep it, even though it was the nicest gesture, but he insisted so we took it. That was my first experience with french people and he was so nice. The sterotype of them being mean, which I was warned of by many people, turned out not to be true.

plates

mini dish washer in our hotel room

mini fridge

electric kettle and some cafe

Rainy Weekend in Barcelona: First Independent Travel Trip

This past weekend we went to Barcelona. We left early on Friday morning and came back late Saturday night, so it was a short weekend but it ended up working out better that way. Friday we had a 9:50 am flight but I woke up at 5 am to get ready and then catch the metro because it was going to be on strike that day. The metro has been on strike a lot lately because Madrid and Spain’s economy are so bad and our host mom told us they drastically cut the pay of metro workers recently. The days when the metro is on strike the metro either doesn’t run for certain hours of the day (usually 6 to 10 am and 6 to 10 pm, the most necessary time to take the metro to get to work and school, therefore making the best political statement) or it runs very limitedly (every 30 minutes instead of every 5 minutes or less).

Luckily for us, the metro was running from 6 am to 8 am that day but only every 30 minutes. The metro opens everyday at 6 am so I decided I didn’t want to push my luck and I got on the first train of the day and it wasn’t anymore crowded than usual. I had to make a connection at the same stop as my friend Samantha so we met at that station. That next train was unbelievably packed. We were slammed in the train for 5 stops, which seemed like an eternity. Whenever the metro turned I was afraid someone would fall over and then everyone would be down. I also saw a lady who looked like she was going to hurl, maybe due to claustrophobia or the fact that it was so hot and smelled like BO.

In any event I think we were very relieved once we got to our destination of the airport and off the smelly, crowded metro. Once we made it to the airport everything was easy. Security took no time at all and none of us had any problems. It seemed a lot less strict than security in the U.S.

Our flight was pretty short and easy. It was my first experience with RyanAir, the super cheap airline, and it was ok. They try and sell you things the entire flight and nothing is free. They don’t give you complimentary drinks or anything but the flight was like 40 euros round-trip so I can’t complain.

Since we took RyanAir it flew into GIRONA, not BARCELONA so we had to take a bus from Girona to Barcelona. It was really easy but just slightly annoying to not have a direct flight. A lot of low cost airlines don’t fly you into the right airport but since none of us had ever traveled before we did not know that. Its all part of the experience I guess.

Once we got to Barcelona we were all slightly disappointed by the weather; it was overcast and drizzling. Little did we know that would end up being the far better day of the two days we spent there. We got kebabs at some place near the bus station and then found our hostel. The group I went with was pretty big, I think there were 11 of us total, which, in my opinion, ended up being too many people. This was my first independent travel trip so I didn’t really know what I liked but after this I think its just a lot easier to go in a smaller group.

I thought our hostel was very nice for the price (only 16 euros a night!). They had free breakfast, free Internet access, a terrace with a beautiful view of Barca, laundry (for a fee), a swimming pool and workout room. It was also my first hostel experience and I liked it. It was like being in a dorm and it seemed like everyone staying there was college-aged. I met a lot of new people in the elevators and in the common room. 

View from our hostel terrace, the bullet shaped building was iridescent 

More views from our hostel

Hostel terrace

After getting settled we were all a little restless to go do things since we were only staying in barca for such a short time. Syd and I, being art history buffs (We are also in art history together at SLU Madrid), decided we really wanted to go to La Sagrada Familia, this really awesome church in Barcelona. Everyone else in the group was not really keen on going because they were sick of seeing churches but we both were dying to go and we assured them that it would be worth their while.

When we got just to the outside of it everyone stopped complaining because they saw how magnificent it was. It was by far the most amazing thing I’ve seen since I’ve been here. It gave me shivers it was so beautiful and I’m quite confident there is no other church like it in the world. The detail work on the inside and out is amazing

Me outside la Sagrada Familia, its still being completed, it was started in the 1890's but due to Civil War within Spain, World Wars and Guadi's sudden death at an early age (he was run over by a bus) it is still be completed today

Tyler in awe

The way the building was designed it is sopposed to look like a forest

Stained Glass in La Sagrada Familia

The ceilings are even beautiful

Me and Samantha inside La Sagrada Familia

Altar piece

Art History Buffs

Some goregous carvings in the outside of the building, the entire outside of the building is this detailed.

After La Sagrada Famalia I really wanted to see Park Guell, also designed by Gaudi and full of his sculptures. It ended up being really far away and involving a crazy steep hill climb but we made it. And it was beautiful too. Nothing compared to La Sagrada Familia but still colorful and lovely. Some of Guadi’s houses were over there too.

Finally we all decided we wanted dinner so we went to Las Rambas, the main street and shopping area of Barca and got dinner. Everyone was pretty tired and our group kind of split up again after that. I was pretty much maxed out on walking by that point, we had probably walked at least 5 miles that day, and I wanted to just go back to the hostel and rest. 

Park Guell, Guadi's Park in Barcelona

 view of Barcelona from Park Guell

Me on a Bench in Park Guell, it was rainy

The Whole Gang (Marshall, Tyler, Me, Samantha, Ahmed, Syd, Florian and Jenny)

More cool ceilings

     That night me, Tyler and Samantha just stayed up late and chatted on the third floor were the terrace was. Everyone else went to bed early because they were tired or going on a early morning bike tour but we decided since we only had the one night in Barca we should make the most of it.

    The next day in Barca it was pouring rain. It didn't stop once all day. I woke up exhausted but happy that I basically got to see everything I wanted to see the day before. The only thing I didn't see while I was in Barcelona that I really wanted to was Santa Maria del Mar, the cathedral of Barcelona. If it was sunny I would have liked to go to the beachs too but that just means il have to come back another time in my life. 

    Alot of people wanted to walk to the port and see the ocean but Tyler and I were tired and my foot hurt so we stayed closer to the hostel and decided we would meet them there later. It was a moonsoon all day and we were freezing so we found this little coffee shop that had coffee for .75 euros. It ended up being the best coffee I've had in spain and also the cheapest. It was great. After that we stumbled upon a market and saw some nasty things. I saw a pig's skin face and every variety of fish ever. The fish are so fresh in spain they look like they are still alive. Its freaky.

do you spy the pig face?

Christopher Columbus Statue

Rainy Day In Barca

Me and Tyler at the Port

We discovered that the port area was very close to Las Ramblas so we decided to meet the rest of the group there. Everyone was soaked and tired and they group that wasn’t with us all day decided that they wanted to go back to Las Ramblas. Tyler and I didn’t because we were just there and my foot was hurting really bad so we went back to the hostel. Technically we were checked out but the front desk workers were really chill and they didn’t care so we went up to the 3^rd floor lounge area and took and nap on the bean bags and dried off. The bed at that hostel and that bean bag nap were the best sleep I’ve gotten since being in spain. It was amazing. I felt so refreshed.

The rest of the trip was just a breeze. We got dinner at place close the bus station, got on the bus, got to the airport, waited there for a bit and then got home. We were all happy to be back in Madrid.  

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