Edinburgh

I arrived at the Edinburgh airport around 3:30, while the sun was already getting pretty low in the sky and it was raining.  But luckily the good cheer was on display in the form of Christmas.  As I walked into the airport, the music, the lights, and whole sensation hit me, and suddenly the world me around felt like home.  It’s funny how Christmas does that.  Then when I ordered a coffee it came in a cup half the size of my head, and I realized I was in a place much more culturally similar to the US than Spain, where it’s hard to find a coffee half the size of my fist.

Caledonian Backpackers - Bar and Billiards Room

When I got to my hostel, I took a short nap before getting up and heading to the common room.  There I finished writing “November Montage”, with the social life of the hostel dwellers buzzing around me.  Caledonian Backpacker’s Hostel would turn out to be the greatest hostel I’ve ever stayed in, and I would recommend it to anybody who is traveling to Edinburgh.  They have spacious dorms as well as rooms for long-term residents, a movie room furnished with beanbags, a great poolroom, and an overall high standard.  What’s more is that much of my enjoyment of the city depended on the people I met there.  After I finished writing, I went to the supermarket and brought back food to cook, thus meeting the first of my temporary hostel friends at dinner.  There were a couple Spanish speakers at one table so I shot to impress with the ever classy “¿Está bien que me siente?” and got a “sí”, so I sat down and told my travel story in Spanish and in English.  By the end of my stay, I knew just about everybody in the hostel.

Later a group met in the common room and we went out to a few clubs.  The first was called Opium, a rock bar with a heavy attitude.  I was starting to learn that anybody who says "rock and roll is dead" hasn’t looked in Scotland.  They were playing everything from post-2000 pop rock hits, to the Offspring’s “The Kids Aren’t Alright”, to “Johnny B. Goode”.  And everybody was rocking their hearts out.  Next we went to a place called Banshee Labyrinth, a pub-club (plub) that was converted from an old prison without any change in the room configuration.  For that reason the place exists as quite the labyrinth, with three different bars and a few dance floors, some playing electro-pop and some playing that good old rock and roll.

Edinburgh Castle

The next day I decided to check out Edinburgh Castle, and stumbled upon a bit of luck in doing so.  My good luck began with the bad luck of a very lovely Nigerian girl, Fatima, who had dropped her gloves from the top of the castle.  As I was walking through the park below the castle, I said hello in passing and she responded likewise.  A second later I turned around when she said “Maybe you have good eyes and can help me find my gloves.  I’ve dropped them from up there.”  Well what do you know, I have twenty-twenty vision, so I helped her look.  Scanning the hillside and rummaging through the foliage alongside the path did not prove successful, except she offered me her free pass to the castle, saving me fourteen pounds, or about twenty-five dollars.  She only requested that I mail her back the pass, and there’s no way I could ebb that good flow of karma so of course I sent it out the next day.

View of the city and Loch Ness from Edinburgh Castle

The castle is a very pretty structure with many rocky terraces, a great view of the city, and a few informative displays on Scottish and British history.  After taking in all the views I could, I skipped the long line for the crown jewels exhibit in favor of the less popular prisoners of war display.  I learned a bit about the nature of Scottish war prisons throughout many years and many conflicts.  They had also preserved a few doors with age-old etchings made by early Americans.  Upon leaving the castle, I bought a shot glass and my new favorite wool “Scotland” hat.

Then I went into town.  Before too long I discovered an art gallery with a sign in front reading “Free Entrance, All Welcome” and I thought, “Why not?”   So I walked in to see what they had on display, which turned out to be some very artsy-fartsy modernist stuff.  One room stood out, with paint-spattered shirts hanging from molded clay hangers on grey walls that were arrayed with long malformed lumps, which curiously resembled human feces.  In the middle of the room, there was a TV playing a two-minute loop of a Scottish man talking to a stone cylinder with a smiley face on it.  I later discovered that the exhibit was supposed to represent learning something unusual and the process in which that thing becomes normal to us.  Go figure.

After walking through the grey poop room, I found what appeared to be a small cinema.  A girl who was working in there informed me that within ten minutes, they were going to begin a screening and discussion for a few local artists.  With nothing better to do at the time I once again thought, “Why not?”  So after grabbing a scotch and apple juice with a beer for later, I sat down for the screening.  They played three clips made by two video artists, the first of which was comprised of four awkwardly long sepia-toned still shots of an iMac computer with a cryptic poem open on its word processor, which was kind of weird.  The second was a pan shot of a park in Edinburgh that had been purposely rendered with computer glitches to appear like a moving series of watercolor brushstrokes, which was kind of cool.  The third was a sequence of shots where a nice pair of polished shoes walks up and crushes a strange Styrofoam object, which was kind of weird.

We never got to discuss much, but at least one audience member had the guts to ask about the fecal formations on the wall in the other room, to which the responsible artist seemed entirely oblivious.  That’s how I found out what the art was supposed to represents and how I decided that artsy hipsters have no common sense.  They can be just as creative as anybody else, but the art they make shows ZERO COMMON SENSE.  As evidence, I give you the fact that the same girl who made the iMac video had written a two-page essay entitled “When we know that we know that something isn’t what it is.”  The piece begins by questioning the nature of human perception and how it is our point of view that defines something as “art”, which makes some basic sense.  However it continues as a complaint that real artists are oppressed by the capitalist system.  If that artsy hipster girl had any common sense she would have known that she is oppressed as an artist by the fact that her artsy hipster friends are her only audience, save random walk-ins like myself.  I’m sorry if I’ve offended any of my less mainstream readers with these opinions.

Hero to Scotland and to the World,
Sir Sean Connery

After counting the art gallery as an interesting experience, I walked back up toward the castle, where they were soon having a Scottish pride event for the upcoming St. Andrew’s Day, which celebrates the patron saint of Scotland.  It began with a man’s explaining Scottish pride in a heavy brogue.  After hearing the tales of historical figures like Adam Smith and Andrew Carnegie, it was delightful to be reminded of another great Scot, Sir Sean Connery.  The event then concluded with the lighting of two flaming coats of arms and a fireworks display that was shot from the top of the castle.  There were also a few ice sculptures and luminaries on display.  It was all part of a very enchanting Scottish atmosphere.

Scottish pride fireworks -
        Edinburgh Castle

 That night, I just hung around in the hostel, shooting pool in the common room with a few guys from the hostel posse.  And the next day, to the relief of the word count in this blog entry, I only went out only once in the early afternoon to walk the streets and get to know the city better, spending the rest of my day playing pool again and chatting with the Caledonian Backpacker’s crowd.  That night, I went out with three French guys to a plub called The Hive that had one rock room and one nineties techno room.  There isn’t too much to tell here other than the unique dancing situation.  I was at full speed, pulling out moves such as the squiggly trance dance, the rapid-fire side skip, the skank, and of course the new school Russian kick dance.  But with the other people on the floor we were creating arm-over-shoulder circles and crack the whip lines, not to mention we were doing the Dosie-do.

My last day in Edinburgh was Tuesday, which I spent at first hanging out with the hostel crowd again, waiting on a message from my Alicante friend Blake.  Eventually I heard from him and we met up around eight o’clock along with his friend from home, Ryan.  We took a pint at a local music bar, and talked until twelve, when parted ways and went back to our respective abodes.

I made it back in time to catch a midnight snack in the kitchen with a few of my favorite hostel dwellers: Mike, an Italian guy who lived in North Carolina for seven years; Nicolas, one of the French guys; and Simon, an Australian fellow who has been traveling the world for six months and plans to continue three more.  We talked about various philosophies and things like cultural differences, eventually moving to the poolroom, and I slowly said good-bye to those I had met as they went off to sleep.  My flight was at seven o’clock the following morning, so I stayed awake through the night, catching a bus to the airport at four and sleeping in transit.  At the Edinburgh airport, I faded in and out of half-sleep while I pondered my next destination.  Paris.

November Montage

When we left off, my mom, Karen Honold, and I had just concluded a successful excursion to the beautiful city of Florence.  Momma Bear’s visit continued in Alicante until late that Friday night, and since then I have had a visit from the lovely Katherine Honold Righi and her partner in crime (and marriage), the ever-dashing Brandon P. Righi.  Then came my last week in Alicante, stressing out about finals, being sick, and saying goodbye to my amigos alicantinos.  As I write this I’m in the airport awaiting a flight to Edinburgh, which is the first stop on a two week Eurotrip.  So I have a few things to recount.

Part I – Mi Mamá en Alicante

We got back on Tuesday November 1^st, Día de Todos Los Santos (All Saint’s Day), and followed Spain’s example by declaring it a day of rest.  Upon arrival, Fer was back home from his October-long trip to Argentina, so I got say hello and introduce my mom to him.  And we were finally a full casa again.  That night, we made crepes from the recipe we got at the cooking school in Florence – or rather, Mom made the crepes and I did homework.  The dinner we had was nice way for my madre americana to meet Alicante.

Madre Enjoying the UA Foliage

On Wednesday we started the day by visiting the university.  Of course I'd been there many times, but my mother's appreciation of the campus made me appreciate it more in turn.  First of all there are are beautiful floral arrangements wherever you go, not to mention the palm trees.  There are also a lot of really cool fountains and sculptures, a display of several boulders, and a giant hand statue which is a symbol of the University.  And to top it off, the landscape and building architecture work together in a very pleasing way.

Later that day, we went to Avenida Maisonnave, a shopping center in central Alicante.  We had  bought a few unique watercolor paintings in Florence as gifts for Lis and Fer and were looking for frames.  We were unsuccessful, but Karen got to see El Corte Inglés, which is a department store with a distinct corporate monopoly in Spain.  In the center of Alicante, there are three Corte Ingleses, two of which have six floors and all of which consume most of their respective blocks.  Later that night we ate dinner at the apartment followed by a game of Scrabble in Spanglish with Masami, my awesome Japanese "compañera de casa".

On Top of
Castillo de Santa Barbara

Thursday, after I got back from class, we made the obligatory climb to the top of Castillo de Santa Barbara.  Although the walk would have been painless, Fer and Lis were nice enough to drive us there.  However they could not go up with us, because Renata was along for the ride and perros (dogs) have come into succession, after the Catholics, Napoleon’s Army, and Franco’s Fascist Forces as the castle’s current object to defend against.  In any case, I was once again able to show off the beauty of the view from atop this ancient structure.

After the castle, my mom and I were dropped off at the port, a part of the city I hadn’t previously explored.  That Thursday night was two days prior to the commencement of the Volvo Ocean Race, a sailboat regatta that started this year in Alicante.  The race will take six teams of professional sailors around the world in nine months.  By chance we ran into my friend Amy, who by the way happens to be good friends from Connecticut College with Gary Kaufman, a longtime Summit pal.  She was volunteering at the event and gave us the low down on what was about to go down between these maritime wind chasers.  There are six crews of fourteen seafarers, each with its own stylish vessel, and each comprised of an international crowd.  For example, the “American” boat only has two American sailors on it, one being the skipper, while the majority of the crew is British.  And all of the racers know each other, as those at the apex of ocean sailing are few.  After Alicante, the regatta will be stopping in Cape Town, South Africa; Abu Dhabi, Dubai; Sanya, China; Auckland, New Zealand; Itajai, Brazil; Miami, Florida; Lisbon, Portugal; Lorient, France; and finally Galway, Ireland.

Once we’d learned everything we could about the race, we continued down the boardwalk, where there was many a spectacle to see.  In promotion of the event, the port had pretty much reached fairground status, with kids flopping around on top of a pool, inside giant inflatable plastic balls; several temporarily constructed clubs and bars named after sponsors; and a live band playing a sound check for a concert we didn’t stick around for.  But Mom and I enjoyed a mojito together while they warmed up.  Then walking down to a section of the dock where there was much less of a crowd, we took a minute to absorb a beautiful perspective of the castle at night.

That was the last night of my visit from Mom, so we went out to eat on the Esplanada, Alicante’s seaside strip, with the whole host family present - Fer, Lis, Masami, and me - and my mom!  Contented by pizza, paella, and sangria, we went back home, where we waited though the wee hours to bring Madre to the bus station for a 2:15 departure headed for Madrid’s Airport.  After the bus had been boarded, Fer, smoking his cigarette, and I, waving incessant good-byes up to the window, lingered at the station to see off another enchanting family visit.

Part II – The In Between Week

            The following week, though relaxing and pleasing, passed nondescriptly while I pondered the next approaching wave of family, coming in the form of Katherine and Brandon Righi.  At the end of this week, an Argentinian friend of Fer and Lis’s named Marcos arrived at our casa, an event that displaced Katherine and Brandon to a nearby hostel.  He stayed in Alicante, uttering facetious phrases in low, nasally Argentinian tones until he left for his home country that Wednesday.  He was returning to Argentina after nine years and six months in Spain.  Just thought I’d mention the guy.

Part III – The Righis Arrive

            My most precious big sister and most magnificent brother-in-law arrived at Alicante’s train station on Sunday, November 14^th.  I greeted them by playing a little trick: after saying I would meet them at the stairs, I hid behind a sign at the boarding platform, waited for them to walk past me, and approached nonchalantly.  I was walking in between them for a solid ten seconds before being noticed.  HaHA!  Then I was hugged.

            So that’s how we kicked things off.  That night, we walked around el barrio and down to the Mediterranean, where we soaked our feet and continued catching up.  Afterward we went to a favorite gelato shop.  As these two are currently studying Spanish, one of the goals of the trip was to improve their speaking skills, and the first of these lessons came with the ice cream.  “You should never accidentally add the ‘ñ’ to the word ‘cono’ [meaning cone],” I advised.  Brandon and I shared a laugh over the colloquial use of the “palabrota” that the word would become.  If you know how to type an ‘ñ’ I refer the reader to google.com/translate.  Or you can just guess.

            The days of this week went by fairly equally.  We would meet at 9am and go Mercado Cental to get breakfast pastries.  Then we'd take those pastries to a cafe on my street called Cafe Tonazzi and eat them with our morning coffee.  After my classes, I would meet Katherine and Brandon at a designated time, and we'd go walking through the city to find things to do.  Eventually we would decide to search out a tapas restaurant.

On Alicante's Public
Workout Equipment

            But there was some variation.  On Monday night we went to a restaurant that was one of several in a plaza that I hadn’t yet discovered.  The paella was pretty good but the sangria was mediocre.  Then we went to the Esplanada and tested out Alicante’s public work out equipment.  We also checked out Alicante's old strange trees.  Anyone I've asked hasn't been able to tell me the names of these trees, but they are massively wide and formed in such a way that vines fall from their branches and enter the dirt as roots.  Growing at various sites in Alicante, I'd guess there are about forty of them to discover throughout the town.

Nice Picture from
Parque de Tuna,
Alicante

            Tuesday, Katherine and Brandon discovered on their own two parks that sit on the side of the hill beneath Castillo de Santa Barbara, Parque del Agua and Parque de Tuna.  The castle included, this is probably the most scenic and naturally preserved part of the city.

            That night we ate at a restaurant in the Barrio called Calvin's.  I got a tapa favorite, patatas bravas (brave potatoes), while Katherine got a salad and Brandon ordered a random menu item that ended up being little sausage slices.  We also got a pitcher of their home brewed "cerveza tostada" (toasted beer).  While Spain general lacks in beer quality this was a very good brew, enough so that I shall declare it here: the best beer I had in Spain.  

            Wednesday, K+B once again made their own excursion while I was at school, this time to the ancient part of the city, Lucentum.  This was the name of Alicante under Rome, between the first century BC to the first century AD.  I never had the pleasure of discovering Lucentum on my own, but I heard from them that it is a very interesting and scenic part of town.  There arcaeologically preserved Roman ruins, set within the modern cityscape, as well as rich history to learn about.

Consumption of a
Chirimoya

            Wednesday night we ate at the hostel.  This is only an important detail because I was introduced to a fruit that I never knew existed call a "chirimoya" [cheery moya].  Found in the US only in California, the taste is a rough hybrid of coconut, pineapple, and mango flavors, and worth the effort it takes to spit out several seeds with every bite.  Anyone who finds themselves in Spain should be exposed to this exotic fruit.  Later we went to my apartment where Katherine and Brandon met Fer and Masami, and we played Spanish Scrabble, or as Spanish speakers call it, "eScrabble".  (They can't pronounce any "S+consonant" without an 'E' sound in front.)

            Anyway Thursday once again marked the end of a visit, and was once again topped off by climbing Castillo de Santa Barbara.  I'm running out of ways to describe this castle, but one thing we took note of was how the structure is carved into the rock scape of the mountaintop.  The walls and structures are literally carved into and built up from the natural formation.  Very unique.

            We then passed some time walking around the city and found one last tapas bar to eat at.  The sangria was pretty good but the paella was way too salty.  We then went for a second dinner with my host family, so that everybody would be able to properly meet each other and Katherine and Brandon could practice their Spanish.  Afterward, we went to a bar that my amigos and I hung out in every Thursday, called 9B Nove Nove.  So they met the majority of my Alicante gang, before heading to the bus station.  As I was lacking the energy to accompany them, we said goodbye and I went back to fall asleep, content with the events of my last of three visits from family.  I really do have an incredibly dedicated family, and the fact that they would all cross the ocean to visit my is easy to sleep on.

Part IV – The Final Countdown

            My last full weekend was fittingly typical, spent hanging out and doing the barrio thing until Sunday the 20^th, which I spent redrafting an essay, completing other final assignments, and playing the guitar.  It was the start of my last week in Alicante, and as my two-month classes were ending, it felt like a real finals week.  Granted, I would probably have more work during an average week at Ithaca College, after three months Spain had made me considerably lazy.  And I was sick.

            So I spent Monday at the University and at home, finishing assignments for my Spanish Grammar and Society classes, and playing the guitar.  Tuesday was the same, except I had to go and tutor eight-year-old Alvaro in English. This tutoring is something I have chosen to skip over in past entries, but I will include it when I write the final recap of my abroad experience.  Wednesday, when I got home from class, I went to the supermercado and bought the ingredients to make pumpkin pie.  After it was too late I realized I forgot the tin for the oven, but I still whipped up the crust and filling, leaving the second supermercado run and the baking process for the morning.

            It was very important that I make that pie because Thursday, as many of you already know, was Thanksgiving.  So after classes, our entire CC-CS group and a few traditional homemade food items hung out on campus in anticipation of the dinner that had been organized for our group.  I couldn’t think of a better way to give thanks to for the friendships that we'd made than to celebrate Thanksgiving together at the end of the program.  We talked about the good old times over turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and various pies.  The pumpkin was a hit.  And to shock those of you at American collages, they served us several bottles of wine and pitchers of beer!  The dinner concluded with a slide show that recapped the entirety of the Spain experience, from our orientation, to our trips to Valencia and Granada, up to the very end.

            We then split for a second dinner with our host families and reconvened later, bringing the party to our favorite bar, 9B Nove Nove.  There, we didn’t not play beer pong until two o’clock.  Leaving Nove was the beginning of the final good-byes, as most of us had to return our phones after classes on Friday and couldn't be sure to see each other.  The deep sentiments and emotional hugs kept flowing from that point on.

            Since I was sick and still chose to go out Thursday night, my alarm failed to wake me Friday morning and I missed my two finals.  Oops.  Good thing my program director, Pepa, is a savior with a lot of sway in the Universidad de Alicante system, because I called her when I woke up, and when I got to school, my two exams were waiting for me to take in her office.

I then said my good-byes to the UA and CC-CS staff, returned my phone, and caught the bus home one last time.  That afternoon, I did some planning for my upcoming Euro-trip as well as some Christmas shopping.  I went back home for la ultima cena (last supper) with my host family before going out one last time to meet two thirds of the crew at Cien Montaditos, a restaurant that serves tiny sandwiches.  We sentimentalized and got along for a few final hours, then took the gang outside where the adios-ing took a good twenty minutes.  I went home around two o'clock to finish packing and catch some sleep before my flight the next morning when I was hit by a surprise, and not a pleasant one.

Fer knocked on my door at about 2:45am with a question, “¿En que día vuelves a Alicante?”

“El nueve,” I replied.

“No estaremos aquí, Mateo.”

“¿Que?”

What just happened is that I was informed, seven hours before my bus ride to the airport, that I would not be able to stay with my host family on the last night of my travels, as I had planned.  So in the middle of the night with no phone I was left to find a place to leave my luggage for two weeks and then stay on my last night in Europe.  $#!*.  After furiously packing the rest of my things, I was lucky to find a solution through Facebook.  From one friend, I got the number of another friend with an apartment and called her from the home phone.  I had to wake her up at four in the morning, but she was willing to help.  After finding the solution, I calmed down and was able to forgive Fer for the misunderstanding, so that story doesn't end on a sour note.  After a few hours of sleep, I ran through Alicante with a guitar in one hand and a rolling suitcase in the other, rang the buzzer to the apartment, dropped my things off, and ran home one last time.  I woke my family and we shared some of those sentimental adios-es that had lately been going around.  Then I grabbed my backpack and headed to the bus that would take me to the airport.  The start of my two-week excursion through Europe was set in motion.

Part V – Me Voy

            And I’m off.  As I write, “that” morning at the end of part four is actually this morning.  But now I’m in the common room at Caledonian Backpacker’s Hostel in Edinburgh, Scotland.  This is the first of six cities that I’ll be visiting in the next two weeks.  I leave Edinburgh for Paris early November 30^th, then taking the night train to Freiburg, Germany where I will arrive the morning of December 2^nd to visit a Summit friend, Shelby Smith (Whaddup!).  On December 4^th I'm taking a train to Munich, where on the 5^th I’m seeing my all time favorite band, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  On the night of the 6^th I’m catching a train to Cannes, France, because in Florence we met the same couple twice, and they invited me to stay.  Then I’m going to be in Barcelona the day and night of the 8^th, leaving for Alicante some time on the 9^th.  Around one o’clock on December 10^th, I will be catching a flight out of Alicante one last time before connecting in Madrid and finally landing at New York JFK airport that night.

So goes the grand finale of my European experience.  I’ve never done anything quite like this in my life.  The nearest experience I can think of is my two weeks of wilderness backpacking in Philmont, New Mexico at age thirteen.  In order to harness that spirit for the journey, I will be wearing my Philmont belt every day and alternating between the same two pairs of pants.  But this is a different kind of wilderness, one of mixed cultures and a wide variety of experiences to take in.  At Philmont, I fed my soul from the fruits of a beautiful corner of nature.  In these next two weeks, I will be feeding my soul from an all-you-can-eat buffet of European culture.

Edinburgh at Christmas Time

Once I got aboard my Ryan Air flight in Alicante I was effectively in Scotland, but when I landed it was like the world had transformed.  You know that feeling when you take off a really heavy backpack and it seems like you don’t weigh anything?  That’s what it felt like landing in an English speaking country after three months of climbing the language barrier.  I would have jumped for joy at this liberating sensation, but at the time I was wearing a really heavy backpack.  I also suddenly found myself surrounded by Christmas.  Holiday images had started to appear in Alicante the past week, but in Edinburgh they have every hall decked, and I walked into the airport to the sound of Ella Fitzgerald sweetly warbling about roasted chestnuts.  And every street is lined with soft blue lighting in the shapes snowflakes and Christmas trees, while holly and Christmas figurines are on display in every storefront.  It’s also a bit cold in Scotland.

So here I am the first night of my voyage through Western Europe, taking it easy, gathering my bearings, and getting around to some things I haven’t been able to make time for recently, such as blogging.  And I’m incredibly excited for what lies ahead.  I will be dropping blog updates at least once per destination while this saga continues, so you know the drill – read on.  Thanks for making it to the end of this most epic edition of Honold-blog, and a belated ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ to all!

Florence! (by Karen Honold, visiting writer)

   October 29 – While the snow began falling in Summit, Matt and I met in the airport in Florence, Italy.  It was the beginning of a very special adventure and week together far from home.  We had perfect weather for the entire stay in Florence - temperature during the day was in the low 70's and in the mid-50's at night.

   Unlike Newark Airport or JFK, there was only one place where Matt could enter the terminal, so it was easy to find him as he came striding through the exit!  It was so nice to see him after 2 months!  And as only Matt can say, it was the first time I had ever seen him in Italy!!

   Upon arrival in the city, we decided spur of the moment to try the Galleria dell’Accademia where Michelangelo’s David is displayed.  Before my departure, Fred had pointed out that the captives by Michelangelo were also amazing and that was true!  The talent in one person to accomplish so many different works of beautiful of art is humbling!   Matt and I approached the David three different times by walking past the Captives.  It made me so appreciative to be in Florence, the city that started the Renaissance.   One more Matt note -- as we were circling David from behind Matt said, "You can tell from this angle that he works out, because that thing... is sculpted."  He always has a comment to make me laugh!

   After seeing the David, we chose a 
restaurant with a view of the Duomo and 
enjoyed a nice Italian meal!  While 
waiting for dinner, we attempted to
imitate the fierce look in David’s eyes.  Matt did a much better job than I did!

   One of the many pleasures of Florence are the street performers.  The first night, we lingered in the Piazza di San Giovanni listening to a steel drum player who was truly inspiring.  The sounds of the drum in the plaza echoed in such an amazing way.  It was a spiritual experience.  Looking forward to the next day, after visiting the Uffizi, we saw some performers dressed to look like statues.  This one broke role to answer his cell phone.  And the street art is amazing, every day we passed chalk artists in varying degrees of completed works.

   October 30 - Early Sunday morning we braved the chill to visit the Uffizi.  What an amazing collection of art!  Statues, busts, oil paintings and so much religious art!  Some of our favorites were:

·       An unfinished DaVinci painting of Madonna and child, the scale of the painting was probably 10 feet high by 15 feet wide.  It is an incomplete masterpiece, but even the parts that were left unfinished invite you to use your creativity to fill in the blanks.

·       A portrait of a nude dwarf - two paintings back to back - one side was the front of the dwarf and the other was the back.  He appeared to be a fierce nude dwarf.  And rounding the second side his backside had us both laughing!

·       The ceilings on the top level were all painted elaborately with too many scenes to describe.  We have a post card as a record of what they looked like.

   We had a bite to eat on the rooftop of the Uffizi, listening to church bells ringing and sitting under a clear blue sky.  It was so relaxing and the food was amazing!  Did I mention the cappuccino in Florence? It is amazing pretty much anywhere you get one.  We had at least one per day, maybe two.  And the gelatto is amazing too!  So many flavors.  We also availed ourselves once per day of snacking on gelatto!

View from Plaza Michelangelo - Florence

Sunday night we went to the Church of San Miniato, at Diane Bakalar's recommendation.  They had a 5:30 Mass that was primarily chanting.  It was a beautiful church with three altars.  The Mass we went to was in the lower part of the church where the acoustics were amazing.  The walls and ceilings were probably at one point completely fresco-ed, however plaster repairs were done over time and part of the fresco is covered.  You can see why Italian restaurants like La Pastaria use that technique on their walls.  It is very authentic.   The Mass was almost mystical in that environment with lots of incense and with the chanting of about 10 monks/priests.  Definitely worth the climb up the hill!  On that same hill is a plaza called the Michelangelo Piaza.  It overlooks the city of Florence.  Matt and I got to be there before Mass, as the sun was setting, and afterwards when the sun was set.  The view was amazing both times!  

October 31 – Halloween - We climbed the Campanile, adjacent to the Duomo  - 414 steps to the top.  It was worth it!  We could see all of Florence to the countryside.  Afterwards we had a relaxing and rejuvenating breakfast on an open plaza sitting in the sun - and only one gypsy came by to beg for money!

Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) - Florence

    Lingering on the Ponte Vecchio in the mid-day sun, we took in the sights of glittering jewelry! Matt was wondering how much the Ponte Vecchio is worth.  Each shop has hundreds of pieces of jewelry that seemed to start at about 150 euro and go up to 11,006 euro (Matt wondered why the 6?).  Truly millions of euro we are sure. It was a nice morning! 

    We took a brief rest in the afternoon before meeting our group to go to an Italian cooking school and cook our dinner.  We prepared a four course dinner that consisted of an eggplant appetizer, a savory crepe (which they made gluten free for me), farmer's chicken and tiramisu (again gluten free for me).  It was a fun experience and we met some very nice people along the way!

Halloween Night - Florence

   After dinner we decided to check out the action that might be happening for Halloween.  There was not much going on, but we ended up in the square where we had our breakfast that morning listening to a trio - bass, guitar and violin - that were very entertaining.  Several people stopped by in their costumes while we were there.  It was a nice end to a full day of Florentine experiences.

    November 1 - Tuesday morning, our last day Florence.  We walked around part of the city we had not explored.  We found the central market, which was not open due to the holiday, but there were plenty of street vendors that were there!  It is amazing what you can buy from a street vendor in Florence.  Leather -- coats, shawls, boots, shoes, journals, belts; lots of scarves and hats, Florence style masks of all colors, shapes, sizes and decorations.  Of course, souvenirs galore!

   Back to the hotel to check out and get to the airport for a 1 pm flight to Alicante.   Arrivederci to Florence!

   Editor's note - Thanks Mom! For coming to visit and for writing this guest blog entry.  I hope everyone enjoyed the writing of my awesome momma.  We also spent four days in Alicante.  More to come.  Remain in tune.

Pomegranate

   So I translated the title for everybody.  In Spanish it would be "Granada", and this past weekend I took a bite.  I must say that I think this has been my favorite Spanish city so far.  I love Alicante, but I secretly wish I'd picked Granada to study in.  Don't tell anybody.

   This trip was coordinated by the lovely folks over at CC-CS, so at a complete headcount, we in the program were shuttled four and a half hours southwest into Andalusia, Spain's southernmost autonomous community.  Until we arrived, I didn't realize that the city would have such an Islamic cultural influence.  Everywhere you go there are storefronts full of hookahs and téterias full of tea (and hookahs), not to mention it has NYC easily beat for felafel per capita.  A few blocks from our hotel was a shopping district full of tiny stores selling tapestries, tea sets, statuettes, ornate boxes, and a whole host of trinkets that ring of Middle Eastern culture.  And there's la Alhambra, the old Islamic palace.

   The story is that from the years 711 to 1492, the Iberian Peninsula was called Al-andalus and it was ruled by the Muslim Caliphate, which came from North Africa.  On January 2nd, 1492, the Granada War ended when the city was surrendered back to the Catholic monarchs, marking the finalization of the Reconquista and the end of Al-andalus.  And yes, the year Spain became Spain, she accomplished what is perhaps still her greatest feat: giving Christopher Colombus the thumbs up.  So anyway Granada and its environs were under Islamic rule longer than any other part of the country, and the city's culture proves it.

Gardens at la Alhambra - Granada

   I mentioned la Alhambra, the Moorish citadel.  In Arabic, 'al hambra' means "the red one", as it is made of red clay bricks, though since it was built the color has faded to a dull shade of salmon.  Despite the salmon, la Alhambra is one of the most scenic sites I've yet to see in Spain.  It exists of many towers, courtyards, and gardens connected by stone pathways.  There is almost always a stunning vista of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  And the buildings are constructed with stars painted on the ceilings, prayers inscribed decoratively along the walls, and color patterns that utilize gold and silver leaf.  But I was most impressed by the gardens, where exotic foliage lines several patios that look out toward the mountains and pathways lead you past plain buildings, strange flowers, and long pools of water.  The pressurized fountains are a relatively recent addition, as are the tourists, and while both reduce the tranquility that I imagine once existed, they don't detract from the skillful make and upkeep of the gardens.  At times the walls and hedges made the area into something of a maze, and with new discoveries around every corner and through every green, growing archway, I felt like it was Lewis Carol who put me there.

   Then just around the time my feet felt like taking a break and my stomach felt like cradling a kebob, we left la Alhambra and went to the center of town to grab a bite.  Then we returned to the hotel for a much needed siesta before going to see two famous churches.  The first was Capilla Real (the Royal Chapel), which is no bigger than the average catholic church, though the interior is quite grand.  Past the "FOTOS NO" signs, you find yourself in the dimly lit main hall, set in blues and golds, and before a massive iron gate that stretches from ceiling to floor and wall to wall.  Through the gate, the lights from the alter make the place come more alive.  The alter piece, which also stretches from ceiling to floor, depicts in sculpture several scenes from the Bible, the most notable being the last stories to tell of John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, to whom the church is dedicated.  The Evangelist had his head chopped off, while the Baptist, rather ironically, was boiled in a big pot.  But the best decor in the chapel has to be the 500 year old sarcophagi of los reyes catolicos, Isabella I and Fernando I, the same couple of monarchs who gave Chris Columbus the go-ahead.  To see their tombs, one must get in line, walk down a set of stairs in front of the alter, look to the right, nod appreciatively, and continue back up the stairs.  In a separate room, they also have the king's sword and both crowns among several royal tomes and robes.  Isabella and Fernando had commissioned the church to be built in eleven years, a short amount of time considering the technology of the time and the intricacy of the work, though unfortunately it wasn't completed until the 20th century when the gift shop was added at the exit.

Behind the Alter - Catedral de Granada

   Next we went to Catedral de Grenada.  This cathedral, the second largest in Spain, blew me away and made me feel small.  White and gold overtones grace the architecture, which shoots up the open space to a ceiling in the sky.  Because of the situation of the pillars and the organ, the center is the only place you can see the entire room, giving the illusion from the perimeter that the place could go on and on.  All along the walls, there are some ten greatly impressive murals consisting of biblical sculpture and paintings.  The gilded alter piece is even taller, overlooking the pews as does the centuries old (still functioning) organ.  It is a very pensive environment, so I sat down on one of the pews for a good think. I thought, "Art and architecture today is simply not done with such patience these days," shortly before we got up to leave.

   Okay we're taking a quick detour.  As I write, I am on a flight from a layover in Germany headed to Florence, Italy, and I'm currently witnessing the Alps for the first time.  Looking ahead out the window, the foothills are backset by a range of enormous summits, some of which stand out tall among the rest, until they disappear into the clouds in the distance.  Each summit is snow capped, making me want to jump on my snowboard and conquer them all.  There are dark green valleys bearing empty roads and sparsely placed houses, between the blue and white stretches of peaks.  I see a series of lakes that rise in a staircase pattern up the side of a ridge, one of which is frozen and the largest of which is at the top with an elevated road winding around the side.  Julie Andrews and seven children are running around dressed in window drapes, singing jolly songs.  Just kidding.  I'm now reentering foothill territory, but I can still see the expansive range curve off into the distance and disappear into the horizon.  Pretty.

   Anyway, we went out for dinner that night at a traditional tapas restaurant, where they serve dishes at random family style, in rounds.  Each round costs two euros per person.  It's like playing an arcade game.  Then a group of us marched thirty minutes to a club that overlooks la Alhambra, which is quite beautifully lit at night.  The place had two stories, an open air patio on top, several laser lit dance floors, two bars, and probably some rest rooms.  There is no place quite like this in Alicante, and to boot, they varied slightly from the usual list of Spanish club songs.  [Side note - They literally play the same ten electro-pop songs in most bars and clubs in Spain.]  So it was a good time worth the walk.

   The next morning, I went with four amigos on one last téteria run for tea and kebobs before heading to the trinket shopping district.  There I bought a big yellow tapestry with elephants on it, so to the residents of 509 South Aurora: I hope you don't mind sharing the first floor living room with a herd of happy pachyderms.  Then at 3pm, we met in the hotel lobby and filed into the bus back to Alicante.  It had been an enchanting visit, and I hope to one day return to Granada, though hopefully for more than just one weekend.

   Legal disclaimer: When I first tried to upload this piece, it failed and erased itself to the half finished version, then my mom was here so I didn't make time to rewrite the entry until now.  For this reason, "this past weekend" really means two weekends ago, and the airplane scene is a recreation.  Hope you got a kick out of it anyway.  Stay tuned.

Hermanos de Visita

   On Tuesday Oct. 11th, I arrived home from school to find my jet lagged brother passed out in my bed.  Then I found my equally sleepy sister in the other room.  Too excited to permit their sleeping any longer, I slapped bro Kevin on the foot and jumped on the bed next to twin-sis Liz.  So began our adventures.
   That first day was a unique one in Alicante thanks to the Scottish.  There was an international fútbol match that night in Alicante's Estadio Mundial between Spain and Scotland, so a horde of at least a thousand Scots (mostly men in kilts) were invading the streets of this helpless Spanish coastal town.  Between the hours of 4 and 8pm, they crowded every restaurant and bar, while the sounds of bagpipes and proud chanting could be heard throughout the city.  On our short tour of Alicante, we had to constantly walk through this slew of Scotsmen.  Then after some tapas and sangria, we walked back to the apartment via the route of a mob-parade that was processing from the coast to the fútbol stadium, shouting The Sound of Music's "Do Re Mi" among other things.  Fortunately, the raid was put down when España defeated "Escocia" 3-1.  Going out that night would have been much more problematic if such a rabble of Scots had taken to the fiesta, infused with alcohol and the pride of defeating the world's best soccer team.  But the Scots' loss combined with the fact that I had no school the following day allowed for a jubilant night in El Barrio among friends and, for the first time, family.

Small sample of the Scottish swarm

   The second day of their visit was special as well, because it was "Día de la Hispanidad", the Spanish speaking countries' version of Columbus Day, when all Hispanic cultures celebrate their heritage.  So all along the central coast line, there were kiosks representing each nationality with food, music, the sale of trinkets, and general good cheer.  We walked through this display on our way to the beach, where Kevin and Liz received their official Mediterranean baptisms.  The water was the calmest I've seen it, and you could see the ocean floor at any depth -- a magnificent day to soak up the sun.

Statue of Alfonso XII
Parque del Buen Retiro
Madrid

   We took Wednesday night easy and went out again Thursday, waking up early Friday morning to see Castillo de Santa Barbara before our departure to Madrid.  This being my second time there and my first time taking the stairs, it was a new experience for all, with picturesque views of the city, the sea, and the mountains.  Then later that day we saw much of the Spanish countryside, as well as the backs of our eyelids, on the train to Madrid.  Immediately obvious upon arrival was the beauty of the city - its cleanliness, its antique demeanor, and its incorporation or trees, gardens, and sculpture spread throughout the cityscape.  As to make the most of the following day, we made dinner and went to sleep in our hostel early that night.

   The next morning we sprung out of bed very slowly and made our way to Real Madrid's Estadio Santiago Bernabéu to buy tickets for the afternoon match against Real Betis, who hail from Sevilla.  Then we made our way toward the Prado Museum, by way of El Parque del Buen Retiro,

"enormous in a different aspect"
Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid

one of several pristine parks in the city.  Just outside the north entrance sits a massive archway, and along the park's paths lie many interested things.  Of what we saw, there is Palacio de Cristal (Palace of Glass), Estanque del Retiro (Retiro Pond), and next to the pond, the monument to King Alfonso XII, with one enormous statue, and two statues that are enormous in a different aspect.  We also saw some huge ducks.  These ducks were about twice the size of the average mallard, and one of them showed a flock of pigeons who's the boss of eating bread crumbs.

   We made then it to the Prado, where photography is unfortunately prohibited.  The museum has far too much art to see in two and a half hours, but in that time we made a significant dent.  There were exhibits full of centuries old statues, classical Spanish paintings, Italian Renaissance art, and one of 19th century Spanish Romantic artist Francisco de Goya, for whom I have a found a new appreciation.  Impressively, many paintings were in the range of 15x20 feet or more.  The Prado has one work of Pablo Picasso, Acróbata en la Bola, but most of the work of Picasso, Salvador Dalí, and their 20th century contemporaries can be found in the Reina Sofia Museum, which we did not have time to see.  Maybe next time.

Liz in anticipation of Cristiano Renaldo

   Afterwards we went back to the Real Madrid stadium, this time for the Real deal.  [Travis Rainey, if you're reading this, yes I did say that I've taken to supporting Barça, but for one day I backed your boys in blanco.  I guess I'm not serious enough to have strict fútbol allegiances.  That being said, ¡venga azul y rojo, abajo con Real Mierda!]  Anyway, the game was a lot of fun.  From our seats, we had a perfect view of the bald spot on the head of the Real Betis goalie.  And after a scoreless first half, we witnessed five goals in the second, three of which comprised the hat-trick of #20 Gonzalo Higuaín.  The final score was 4-1 Madrid.

   Later, we got a taste of Madrid's nightlife.  The first event we encountered was a crossover between a working class protest and a "botellón", which is Spanish for "drinking in the streets", in the famous plaza of Puerta del Sol.  For our own good, we didn't stop there and instead went to a nearby bar district. There we found a fine establishmet called Soltera and made some temporary Spanish friends.  I was happy to play the translator.

Three Honolds and one Ciaravalli - Plaza de Toros, Madrid

   Then on Sunday, after a slow morning, we went to Madrid's Plaza de Toros to see a bullfight, or "torero".  We went primarily to meet a friend from Summit, Lauren Ciaravalli, who is studying in Madrid this semester.  We also went because we thought it would be interesting to see a bull fight, and yes it was 'interesting', though we all decided it would be our first and last time.  Let's just say it didn't turn out too well for the bulls.  If you have a strong stomach and a lust for authentic cultural experiences, I would recommend seeing one bullfight - just one.  To lighten the mood, there was a little niño outside the plaza after the torero, pretending to be a bull and running into his dad's coat.  It was mad adorable.

   That night we ate at a Spanish restaurant with a twelve euro deal on a quality three course meal.  We made a toast to having had a magnificent week and to having taken a satisfying bite out Spain.  Then we parted ways at the Madrid airport Monday morning, and are now back at our respective abodes, but it was awesome having my siblings visit.  To Liz and Kevin: love you guys and thanks for making my time in Spain that much better!

   Tomorrow I'm off to Grenada for the weekend, so expect a post next week about another Spanish city.  And there will be something about graffiti eventually, it's just that I keep finding more of it.  Por lo tanto, ¡estad atentos!

Boda

   Something I can't neglect to blurb about is the marriage of my host parents, Fer and Lis.  On Friday September 23rd, my "padres españoles" tied the knot after being together for nine years.  In leading up to this, Fer's brother and sister in-law, Farcundo and Adriana, came from Argentina to visit Spain.  Although the Argentinian accent is considerably harder for me to decipher, they were a pleasant addition to the household, and Farco and I were able to bond over the guitar and conversations about music.

As they say in Spain when Fer y Lis get married... ¡Ferlisidades!

   Unfortunately I had class during the ceremony, but the following night was la cena, or "the reception", which featured several rounds of tapas, a bar, and a dance floor.  Loads of fun, it was a good opportunity to practice my Spanish and show off my dance moves.  As for the cultural aspect, Spanish wedding receptions are a lot like American ones though not nearly as formalized, lacking aspects that are obligatory in America, such as the first dance, the throwing of the bouquet, and Motown's 25 Greatest Hits.  However, two things true to any wedding are tons of photos and cheerful times.  The image to the right is both of these.  ¡Felizidades, padres!

Bienvenidos a Valencia

 Hola, faithful readers.  I've been meaning all week to write about my excursion to Valencia, but I have so much free time that it's hard to decide which of it to spend on Honoldblog.  Anyway, thanks for the patience.  Oh and I have a camera now.

A View of a Church, from a Church - Valencia

  So last Saturday morning, September 17th, all twenty-four students in my program boarded a bus headed for Valencia, which sits on la Costa Blanca two and a half hours north of Alicante.  Upon arrival, we had a quick bus tour followed by a walking tour.  On the bus we learned that, like many Spanish cities, Valencia was originally built under the Muslim caliphate, which ruled most of Spain for most of the middle ages.  It is a medieval phenomenon that Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived more or less in peace here throughout this period.  As evidence, there are both mosques and cathedrals in the old part of Valencia.  We walked through one of these cathedrals, which was far from the most impressive church I've been to but quite ornate none the less, its distinctive feature being a garden with trees of inedible yet incredibly fragrant oranges.
   During a one hour break, my amigo Nick and I walked into a little music shop and jammed, thereby discovering that we are each other's equals in musical enthusiasm.  And this was my first time playing bass in Spain.  Quite the thrill.  Nick and I are taking a flamenco guitar class together beginning in October and we've agreed to look for more opportunities to jam.  Doubtlessly there will be more on musical happenings in future posts.

Oceanogràfic - Valencia

   After the break, we got back on the bus and headed to La Oceanagràfic.  A facility of modern architecture with swooping buildings that evoke the ocean's waves, this is the largest aquarium in Europe.  There we saw many citizens of the aquatic community like penguins, sharks, walruses, beluga whales, and a variety of ugly fishes.  But none of the fish tanks could compare to La Programa de los Delfines, which gave me a new and profound appreciation for dolphins.  For one thing, it's clear that they are very close to human intelligence.  Also, they smile a lot.  We saw them dance to The Rolling Stones' "Who Do You Love?" by lifting themselves out of the water and back peddling on their flippers.  We watched as one trainer with his feet planted on two bottle shaped noses was brought to the bottom of the tank, then launched twenty feet in the air.  And we witnessed the dolphins themselves leap in synchrony from the water, doing as many as three flips at a time.  ¡Que magnifico!
    Afterward, much of the group boarded the bus back to Alicante.  I am grateful that my friend Bobby, who was feeling a little under the weather, offered me his place in a hostel for the night.  Thus I was part of a crew of four compañeros who stuck it out for the night.  So Blake, Gayle, Amy, and I checked into our hostel and went looking for a place to eat, but we discovered more than expected.
    Strolling by Valencia's Plaza de los Toros, we heard a ruckus.  It was a German-esque ruckus of polka music and the shouts of people who could only have had large mugs of beer in their fists.  That's right, it was Oktoberfest on Tour, so we went to investigate.  After a pint, we made plans to recuperate at the hostel before returning to Oktoberfest for the night.  And we did just that.  After 10pm there was ten euro fee which granted entry and a liter of Paulaner ale, thus everyone was obliged to drink at least that much.  Following the flow of beer was the flow of Spanish, so it was easy to make friends with those around us.  And we danced the night away, as the music alternated between American oldies and that of a questionably authentic German band.  ¡Que magnifico!

View from atop the castle

    The next morning, we woke up with the intention of seeing as much of Valencia as possible before our 5:15pm bus time.  After breakfast we stumbled upon a castle in the old part of town.  We climbed to the top, where there was a great view of the Valencian cityscape, inclusive of antique bell towers and modern buildings in the distance.

Enwizened Gentleman Reading
El Jardìn Botanico de la Universidad Valenciana

 




    Then we happened upon the botanical gardens of Univeridad Valenciana and enjoyed a stroll past elaborate gates and fountains, through the shade of exotic trees.  Apparently many stray cats inhabit this garden, along with elderly folks reading books.
    After an hour in the garden, we continued our route in the general direction of the bus station, and came across a large park that separates the old and new parts of the city.  But we turned back in order to find a place to eat lunch.  The first establishment we tried denied us due to siesta hours (if my American readers can believe it), but the second was willing to serve us hot bocadillos and cold sangria.

Human Evolution in Skulls

    Then we were fortunate to come upon a museum, one half of which is dedicated to archaeological human history, the other to Valencian cultural history.  To my surprise there was a row of skulls from various periods of human evolution and all the Homos were present, including Sapien.  In addition, there were many tools and pottery pieces from several thousands of years ago.  On the other side of the museum, I saw perhaps the most magnificent pair of corduroys I've ever laid eyes on.  They were patched together from different earth-tone shades of fabric sometime during the early twentieth century.  Now to my lament, I didn't take a picture.
    We concluded our excursion with a walk through the aforementioned park, which runs about one hundred meters wide and two miles long, with many winding paths, tall tress, plazas, fields, and fountains.  After walking a ways, finding a bench, and having an in depth conversation about mortality, we made our way toward the bus station.  It had been a long and tiring excursion, though worth every minute, and we were ready to go home to Alicante.
     Having been on this trip, I have gotten a taste of European travel, and I'm excited to venture elsewhere.  As of now, I have plans for traveling to Barcelona, Madrid, and Granada as well as two weeks set aside after my semester ends for seeing Europe.  So as always, stay tuned.  And I'll make my next post sooner this time.  Maybe something about graffiti...

Routine

   Since arriving in Spain eleven days ago, I've fallen into a routine.  On weekdays, my classes are from 10 to 11am and 12 to 3pm.  Of course I pay attention, but my best practice comes from speaking Spanish with the cute Russian girl who I sit next to in both classes, coincidentally.  After catching the bus home, I play guitar for an hour or two, then walk to the beach where I am part of a group that maintains the same location from about 1 to 8 o'clock.  As a daily ritual, I go for a swim in the Mediterranean.  The sea water is much saltier than ocean water, so it's very easy to float on the surface. It's a soul cleansing experience.  Then I go back to mi casa, do my homework, and eat dinner with mi familia.  Sometimes I go out briefly or play guitar before going to sleep.
   I had wanted to get a guitar in Spain for several months, figuring I would need a musical outlet and this would be a good opportunity to really learn the instrument.  So on Wednesday I walked up to Alicante's Plaza de los Toros and into a music shop I'd found called Rogel.  Fifteen minutes later I walked out with a beautiful little natural colored flamenco guitar, went home, and played for the rest of the day.  Since then, I have been very content.
   And I've made it through my first weekend.  In Spain, the nightlife doesn't begin until 12 o'clock, and it doesn't end until after the sun comes up.  During this time, all the fun in Alicante is centralized to a district called 'el barrio' or 'the neighborhood'.  Bars in el barrio distinguish themselves with neon signs, one euro drink specials, and different sequences of the same ten electro-pop songs.  And it's not enough to stay at one establishment for the night; everybody bar hops and hangs out in the streets, effectively resulting in one big block party.  During the 3 o'clock hour, the bar scene shifts toward the club scene, and the truly dedicated ride it out until 7 or 8am.
   This is how I celebrated what was my twentieth birthday and my first cumpleaños, on Saturday September 10th.  Because the party doesn't start until midnight, my celebration happened Friday night.  I was with a crew of about twelve people, so I had a great time tearing up the dance floor and letting friends buy me drinks.  The following day was spent on the beach at San Juan, which is a fifteen minute tram ride from central Alicante.  At San Juan, the beach is longer, the waves are bigger, the water is clearer, the people are fewer, and the relaxation is greater.  Then after going home for a wonderful dinner with my host family, I walked to el barrio and went through the nightlife routine described above.  I made it to 5am.  My lazy Sunday has been spent resting and getting ready to begin my routine again.
    Lastly, today is 9/11/2011.  It's odd to be across the ocean from the United States today, ten years past the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.  Here, I've heard it mentioned only once, in conversation with a fellow American exchange student.  Even the way the date is written - 11/9 - doesn't represent the significance of the day.  Meanwhile, a Facebook dominated by statuses of remembrance represents the sentiments of every Americans on this day.  So a blessing for my home country, the lives that were lost, and the strength we gained from the experience.  Keep remembering, everybody.
   But no matter where you are, it is always time to look toward the future.  Now that I have my weekly schedule down, I must begin to focus on other things, like perfecting my Spanish and finding more new experiences to blog about.  Stay tuned.