| 17 January 2002 Thursday 9:29 pm I'm back from Spain. My mom and I visited Sevilla, Granada, and Madrid. And it was all gorgeous! Don't worry, there will be pictures as soon as I get them developed. It's one of the few countries that I have wanted to spend more time in, and I was there for a week. In Sevilla, a quaint little town with orange tree-lined streets and amazing ambiance, we saw the Giralda tower and the cathedral. Then we saw the Alcazar, which was pretty, but empty. We also walked around in the barrio Satna Cruz which is just the coolest little place! Narrow streets with black lamps hanging from the walls, lots of little shops with flamenco dresses in the windows, and very easy to get lost in. We met these Canadians that were very nice, and they told us about a flamenco show, which we all ended up going to. And afterwards the four of us went to this little bar that I totally would have missed because the entrance was literally just a door in a wooden wall where we sat around sipping on sangrias while listening to a Spanish woman sing while the crowd clapped along. My mom and I then took the bus (gorgeous 3-hour ride filled with olive tree farms) to Granada, the city of the famous Alhambra. Actually we lived just down the street from it (and up from Plaza Nueva), and the top of our building boasted a great view of the Moorish fortress. Because it wasn't tourist season, the Alhambra was empty when we went, which allowed for us to have an amazing view of the place. I don't even have words for how amazing the architecture was and the view of the city with its little white houses and the Sierra Nevadas in the backround. We also took the bus to Madrid from Spain (all the flights were at night, which was ridiculous!) The ride was long and boring as hell, though we did stop in La Mancha for a bathroom break, and somewhere in Toledo we saw the famous windmills that Don Quixote tried to attack. Madrid is a big city... and I easily liked it the least of the three that we visted. Anyways, we got to see the Royal Palace, which is freaking awesome, but still not as nice as Versailles in France. Plus we did some shopping (got a pair of shoes, sandals, and a bag). And we also went to the Prado, which was simply awesome. We got back yesterday afternoon. There are several reasons I could totally live in Spain, and a few big ones where I definitely would not. Why I could live there: It's not a morning country. Their banks say they open at 8:30am, but they're usually late. Many stores don't even open up till around 10. The only things open are the cafes. Spain is also a country that enjoys its food. Lots of yummy food. People like their meals so much that they actually CLOSE DOWN THEIR STORES during lunch... for 2-3 hours at a time! Since their days start late, they end late, also. I'm talking 10-11pm people are out... adults, kiddies, and oldies alike! I think it may also have something to do with the after-Christmas sales, but if there are this many people out when it's cold outside... there have to be more when it's warm. And to top all this good stuff off, the country is simply beautiful! At least the places I went to are, but I've been told the other cities are just as gorgeous. I'm talking amazing architecture, beautiful plazas full of people, gorgeous churches... And the people aren't so bad either (though they're not Italians!) And the reasons I couldn't live there: I was perpetually surrounded by a cloud of smoke. On the streets, in the subway stations (though thank goodness not in the cars): in plazas, at 8am, noon, 6pm, and midnight... Someone is ALWAYS smoking. It hurts my lungs and stings my eyes! Literally. Not only does the smoke get to me, the dust does. There is a lot of construction going on in those cities, so there is dust flying everywhere. Anywhere I can't breathe easily just isn't for me. Why I'm going to move to LA goes beyond me sometimes... Hehe. I had an reminiscence the other day while I was in Spain. I woke up to a memory of me in the eleventh grade. It was after school sometime and I was messing around with some friends, chasing each other and such, and I hurt my ankle. My good friend, Bryan - tall, skinny, kind of goofy and wearing glasses at that point - swept me off my feet. Literally: He slipped his arms under my back and legs and picked me up in one motion, and with my arms around his neck, the two of us kept chasing after whomever we were chasing. And then another memory popped into my head: when during choir class during senior year Liz asked me if I'd see him lately, and I said no. Ten minutes later he was standing at the door of my classroom, in full uniform, and with a smile on his face. I was sitting on the floor and my mouth dropped open and I bolted up, lept over Katherine's supine body, and sprinted across the room to give him a hug. This is the guy who was one of my best friends all through high school, whom I trusted with secrets I didn't even tell some of my bestest (yes I know that's not a word) friends, and whom my dad liked enough to say that if there was anyone I should marry it should be him... And I haven't spoken to him since last December. What the he1l is that! We both just kind of lost touch with each other. I even missed his graduation from the Coast Guard Academy, and now have no idea where he's been stationed. So if anyone knows where he is... please tell me! I miss him. A lot. |
| howl |