Week....Thir...teen?
Yes, I think that's right. I guess I'll catch up for last week's post too, since I sent out the email and didn't bother to put it on here.
Last week was pretty much just getting little things ready for Winter Break, such as reserving hostels and flights and then packing. I also sent in an article to the Smith News and they published it online. Less than 12 hours later my inbox was bursting with emails from the Italian department back in Northampton. Italians are so excitable. ^_^
Our last Studio Art class before break met in the Accademia and we spent 2 hours drawing the David!!! I was really excited by that. He's a bit frustrating for the proportions, but once you get past that he's fun. Except for his face. I can't draw heads that are in proportion to their bodies. It just doesn't work. lol.
So, anyway, life since I left Florence.
I took the train to Pisa and spent Saturday wandering to places I hadn't gone when I went with Hannah and Kathryn. I even found an old ruin that was built by Nero! I had no idea it was there. The flight to Madrid was an hour delayed and they took my conditioner and my bodywash, even though I'd never had problems with their bottles before. Once I got to Madrid though, I had a lot of fun. Alex and her friend Eva found me and took me to Eva's friends' apartment for dinner. We ate pasta and drank wine for about 2 hours, speaking in a mixture of Spanish, German, Italian, and English between all of us. Only one of the boys could understand all four languages, which must have been really strange for him. It was really fun to me! We went to a club afterwards and danced for a while, but Alex and I were passing out so headed back to our hostel by 2. Btw, if you ever stay in Madrid, the International Youth Hostel Posada is the best hostel I've ever stayed in, or perhaps a very close second to the Stay & Learn Hostel in Frankfurt. I definitely recommend it.
We somehow failed to make it to any art museums while they were open or had short lines, but oh well. We did get to wander around Madrid and see the palace and cute Spanish plazas. We were planning on going out to Toledo the day I left but it was raining and cold, so we decided to sleep in. We spent the day wandering in the rain and, when we got cold, hiding in coffee shops. It was a really nice trip, and I really appreciated spending time with Eva and her friends, who actually knew the city much better than Alex or I could have. They taught us all about the traditional Spanish foods, like Tapas, Churros, and Tortillas (which aren't what they sound like; they're eggs and potatoes) and took us hither and yon. I think Alex and I are going to plan another trip together, because we had a great time. I would also really like to make it back to Spain next semester, as I only got to see Madrid.
I gave myself plenty of time to get to the airport, which was good because we'd mistaken which subway stop I'd needed to go to, so I spent an hour speed walking through Madrid to get to the correct one. I passed out on the plane, needless to say. Oh, and the subways in Madrid are SO CLEAN. They make New York look disgusting. Backpacks on the front, but clean as a whistle.
I got to Dublin and had decided to stay the night there because Robin lives on the other side of the island and didn't want to deal with getting there so late. I found a cute little hostel for 10 euro per night with free breakfast and linens, right by the bus station (station, yes, sketchy, no) and was happy until I realized that Ireland's one of the few places in Europe that shuts down at night. I ended up getting a rip-off gross meal from a take-away place because no one was serving dinner anymore (and I'm pretty sure the McDonald's and Burger Kings were closed...wtf?) and taking it back to my hostel. The next day I wandered Dublin and took a billion pictures. Ireland is interesting because most of its cool buildings were built in the Medieval age, so part of the time it looks like a normal city/town you'd find anywhere, and then suddenly you're in a fairy tale. It's neat.
I took a 4 hour bus from Dublin to Limerick that afternoon and met Robin at the station. We ate at a little burger cafe and then went back to her dorm/house for movies and popcorn. Yesterday she had her last final and then we spent the day wandering the campus (and seeking out the old ruins of a fort thing on campus--WAY cool!!) and then watching movies before her friend's Christmas party. We drank a little too much, so were dehydrated today, which didn't help the frustration of having to wander Limerick looking for a case for Robin's bodhran so that she could take it home tomorrow, but we had a good lunch and I slept on the bus back to the University, so I felt better. She's been packing all evening, and I'm finally getting to do laundry and make some more plans for the break. Tomorrow I'm going to the coast when she leaves and then Sunday I fly to Paris!
I hope everyone has a great, amazing, fantastic, and beautiful Christmas!!!!!! P<3!
Last week was pretty much just getting little things ready for Winter Break, such as reserving hostels and flights and then packing. I also sent in an article to the Smith News and they published it online. Less than 12 hours later my inbox was bursting with emails from the Italian department back in Northampton. Italians are so excitable. ^_^
Our last Studio Art class before break met in the Accademia and we spent 2 hours drawing the David!!! I was really excited by that. He's a bit frustrating for the proportions, but once you get past that he's fun. Except for his face. I can't draw heads that are in proportion to their bodies. It just doesn't work. lol.
So, anyway, life since I left Florence.
I took the train to Pisa and spent Saturday wandering to places I hadn't gone when I went with Hannah and Kathryn. I even found an old ruin that was built by Nero! I had no idea it was there. The flight to Madrid was an hour delayed and they took my conditioner and my bodywash, even though I'd never had problems with their bottles before. Once I got to Madrid though, I had a lot of fun. Alex and her friend Eva found me and took me to Eva's friends' apartment for dinner. We ate pasta and drank wine for about 2 hours, speaking in a mixture of Spanish, German, Italian, and English between all of us. Only one of the boys could understand all four languages, which must have been really strange for him. It was really fun to me! We went to a club afterwards and danced for a while, but Alex and I were passing out so headed back to our hostel by 2. Btw, if you ever stay in Madrid, the International Youth Hostel Posada is the best hostel I've ever stayed in, or perhaps a very close second to the Stay & Learn Hostel in Frankfurt. I definitely recommend it.
We somehow failed to make it to any art museums while they were open or had short lines, but oh well. We did get to wander around Madrid and see the palace and cute Spanish plazas. We were planning on going out to Toledo the day I left but it was raining and cold, so we decided to sleep in. We spent the day wandering in the rain and, when we got cold, hiding in coffee shops. It was a really nice trip, and I really appreciated spending time with Eva and her friends, who actually knew the city much better than Alex or I could have. They taught us all about the traditional Spanish foods, like Tapas, Churros, and Tortillas (which aren't what they sound like; they're eggs and potatoes) and took us hither and yon. I think Alex and I are going to plan another trip together, because we had a great time. I would also really like to make it back to Spain next semester, as I only got to see Madrid.
I gave myself plenty of time to get to the airport, which was good because we'd mistaken which subway stop I'd needed to go to, so I spent an hour speed walking through Madrid to get to the correct one. I passed out on the plane, needless to say. Oh, and the subways in Madrid are SO CLEAN. They make New York look disgusting. Backpacks on the front, but clean as a whistle.
I got to Dublin and had decided to stay the night there because Robin lives on the other side of the island and didn't want to deal with getting there so late. I found a cute little hostel for 10 euro per night with free breakfast and linens, right by the bus station (station, yes, sketchy, no) and was happy until I realized that Ireland's one of the few places in Europe that shuts down at night. I ended up getting a rip-off gross meal from a take-away place because no one was serving dinner anymore (and I'm pretty sure the McDonald's and Burger Kings were closed...wtf?) and taking it back to my hostel. The next day I wandered Dublin and took a billion pictures. Ireland is interesting because most of its cool buildings were built in the Medieval age, so part of the time it looks like a normal city/town you'd find anywhere, and then suddenly you're in a fairy tale. It's neat.
I took a 4 hour bus from Dublin to Limerick that afternoon and met Robin at the station. We ate at a little burger cafe and then went back to her dorm/house for movies and popcorn. Yesterday she had her last final and then we spent the day wandering the campus (and seeking out the old ruins of a fort thing on campus--WAY cool!!) and then watching movies before her friend's Christmas party. We drank a little too much, so were dehydrated today, which didn't help the frustration of having to wander Limerick looking for a case for Robin's bodhran so that she could take it home tomorrow, but we had a good lunch and I slept on the bus back to the University, so I felt better. She's been packing all evening, and I'm finally getting to do laundry and make some more plans for the break. Tomorrow I'm going to the coast when she leaves and then Sunday I fly to Paris!
I hope everyone has a great, amazing, fantastic, and beautiful Christmas!!!!!! P<3!