London, Stonehedge, Bath

So far London has been great! I have a single in Campbell House West a dorm that is right near the main campus. Since classes haven't started yet I have had a lot of time to explore the city and get to know the tube system. I went to Camden, an area in London that has a lot of open air markets. The streets were just overflowing with stalls selling almost anything you could think of. A few days later I went with some friends to see Big Ben and Parliament and we took a walk along the Thames. I have also visited Piccadilly Circus, Harrods, and Covet Gardens. Yesterday I traveled outside of London to tour Stonehenge and Bath. It was cool to see Stonehenge because I have heard so much about it. It was very cold and windy there so I was glad that the visit did not require much more than walking around the rocks. From there we drove another hour to the city of Bath. I was charmed the minute we began to drive into the city. It looks like it came right out of a Jane Austen novel. We drove around the city stopping at the Royal Crescent a row of 30 houses built by John Wood the Younger. After that we took a tour of the Roman Baths. It was very interesting to get a look into this ancient custom. It was especially interesting to see the parts that still contain water and where it runs into the baths. After the baths we walked around the quaint streets and along the Kennet and Avon Canal that runs through the city and stopped for some tea and scones before making the journey back to London. So far England has been amazing and I am very much looking forward to the rest of my time here.

Lisbon day 2

After two weeks of serious touring we are exhausted and decided to take it easy our last day. We took the train to Cascais a fisherman town outside of Lisbon. We spent the day sitting by the beach and wandering around the narrow cobblestone streets. The beach was stunning. The sea was an amazingly bright shade of blue matching the cloudless sky and the sand felt like silk beneath our feet. It was a relazing day which was much needed after the last two weeks in order to prepare for getting settled in London. For dinner we walked to the Barrio Alto neighborhood which is known for being a hot spot after sunset. We have an early flight tomorrow so we decided to keep our night low key and just hung out in our hostel with the other international travelers staying here. Tomorrow our semester abroad actually begins!!

Lisboa

We arrived in Lisbon so early that the streets were empty as we walked from the metro station to our hostel. It gave us an opportunity to really take in the streets of the city. However, we were a bit too tired to truly appreciate it. The streets look they are a mosaic made of white tiles with black designs. In the afternoon we a tram, the cities more well known form of transportation, up to the Castelo de Sao Jorge. It has been a fort since before the Romans in 138 B.C. and was home to the Portuguese Royalty for some time. The castle is located on top of Lisbon's highest hill and you can get an amazing view of the city from up there. You can even climb up stairs and walk along the tops of the walls. We walked the cobblestone streets leading down the hill and stopped at the Se, Lisbon's cathedral. It was founded by Alfonso Henriques in 1150 and was built in a Fortress like style. It's facade actually reminded me of the Notre Dame in Paris. We finished the walk back to the hostel and moved our things into our rooms as they were not ready when we arrived.

Last day in Madrid

After Services we had a picnic style Lunch in Park Retiro a 340-acre park in the middle of urban Madrid. There is a nice lake with a path around where we sat for a while and partook in some people watching. Also within the park is a Crystal Palace modeled after the one in London. It was closed when we got there but it is a glass-paneled building used as space for art exhibitions and other public shows. It was just a quick walk from the park to the Reina Sofia, Madrid’s modern art museum. Housing big names like Dali and Picasso the museum is made up of large white rooms and the entire structure surrounds a sculpture Garden. It’s big item is Picasso’s Guernica and they have an entire room displaying his preliminary sketches. Madrid has been great and now it’s time to move on to our final stop Lisbon, Portugal

Madrid 3

Although it’s a bit cold outside it’s not raining so today we decide to go to the Botanical Garden behind the Prado, which we decided to pass on yesterday. It was founded by Charles III and contains over 650 species of plants. The entire thing is split up into four levels each one presenting plants in a very organized and scientific way. It was not built just to be a nice garden but in fact to serve as a museum of plants. On one end there is a green house. Each room is dedicated to a different variety of plants like cacti, palms, etc. On the top tier there was a special exhibition of Bonsai trees. It was pretty impressive to see the different shapes they could be trimmed into and how small they actually are. There were even a few pots containing a group of trees that looked like mini forests. From there we walked to the Park del Oeste which over looks part of the city. In the park is the Templo de Debod an Egyptian temple that had to be relocated due to the Nile rising after the building of the Aswan Dam. It was given to Spain as a thank you for helping with the process.It sits in the middle of the park surrounded by water helping to simulate its original Egyptian setting. Our last stop of the day was the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida. It is a small chapel where the artist Goya is buried. Within it’s cupola Goya had actually painted a beautiful vaulted fresco. It was a bit of a shlep to get there but definitely worth it. Then we went back to the room to rest up and get ready for Rosh Hashanah services. We went to the Bet Yaakov synagogue, and as we are in Spain decided to check out the Sephardi Services. The women seating was in the balcony and the female members of the community were quite chatty. After services we went for dinner at the apartment if the Madrid Chabad Rabbi and his family. We dined with an international group mainly consisting of Americans and Israelis. The Rabbi said at the beginning of the meal that in his apartment it is as if we are in Brooklyn, NY. While it wasn’t exactly like Brooklyn it was nice to have a meal with native English Speakers after over a week of communicating mainly with sign language. One more day in Madrid and then it’s on to Lisbon.

Madrid 2

We had been warned that Spain would be incredibly hot. So, we were a bit unprepared for today's cold and rainy weather. However, we didn't let it hold us back. We began our day by picking up breakfast at the San Miguel market a slightly more high end market that is housed within a small glass paned structure and includes a bakery, coffee shop, book store, and appliance stand as well as the expected fruits, vegetables, and other fresh foods. From there we went to the Almuneda Cathedral. It took 110 years to build so while it was originally intended to be a Gothic style structure the plan changed and ended up being neoclassical. The interior is made of white stone and so bright. The multiple chapels and stained-glass windows are designed in a much more modern and colorful manner than those we have seen elsewhere. Next we went to the Palacio Real, the palace that was once home to the Spanish Royal Family. All of the rooms were so luxuriously decorated. Every room had a Fresco on the ceiling, lushly upholstered walls, and multiple crystal chandeliers. Even the dressing room was beyond extravagant. It was a nice break from the rain. After lunch we decided to go to the Prado Museum as another indoor activity. We walked through almost every gallery and viewed masterpieces by Spanish painters such as Goya, Velazquez, and El Grecco as well as Italian, French, Dutch, Flemmish, German, and English painters as well. It was exciting to see some works I have studied such as Las Meninas by Velazquez and Goyas' The Third of May. I also very much enjoyed The Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch. On our walk back to the hostel we passed through the Plaza de la Cibeles

Madrid!!

This morning we took the three hour train ride from the Barcelona Sants train station to the Atocha station in Madrid. Our hostel, called Louis XV, has an elevator which automatically makes this one of my favorite cities. After getting situated we hit the streets. The hostel is located on Gran Via right in the middle of the city. We walked down to Puerta del Sol which looks like it would be very nice but is currently undergoing a lot of construction. We stopped to pick up falafel and eat lunch on the go as we headed to Plaza Mayor a nice square with outdoor restaurants and a building with a mural painted on its exterior. After that we wandered around the city through narrow streets lined with quaint buildings painted in shades of yellow. Before we knew it it was five o'clock and we were exhausted so we headed back to the hostel to rest up before heading out to a late dinner. We ate near Plaza Mayor In a cueva or cave, a tapas bar located within an old tavern. Once inside we immediately understood why they are called caves. The interior was made of brick and the rounded ceilings in the series of small rooms had a very cave like feel to them. Looking forward to what Madrid will have to offer us tomorrow!

Barcelona Dia Tres (a day late)

Today was a bit rainy but it did not stop us from getting out there and seeing the city. We started our day with another trip to the the outdoor food market La Boqueria. After that we headed over to the Museu Picasso (Picasso Museum). The permanent collection was very interesting. It goes through Picasso's entire life showing how his style changed and what influenced these changes. My favorite part was at the end of the collection. They have a few galleries dedicated to showing Picasso's many version of Las Meninas a painting by Velasquez that we will actually have a chance to see at the Prado in Madrid. From there we headed to the Santa Maria del Mar Church a small Gothic Structure that at one point actually sat on the edge of the Mediterranean. The interior was dark but was decorated with some pretty stained-glass Windows. We stopped in a small restaurant in a narrow side street for a quick lunch. After wards we walked to Catedral de Barcelona the city's main cathedral built in the typical Catalan Gothic style. Its spires can be seen from all over the old city. The interior is impressive with a high Gothic arched ceiling and high altar. There are multpile small chapels around the main area of hte cathedral, each one serving a different purpose. After so many churches and cathedral we decided to go see the Old Synagogue located in El Call (pronounce kye) the old Jewish neighboorhood. This proved to be much more difficult than we expected as our map was not complete and many of the small side streets not identified on it. After what seemed like hours of wandering we finally found it. To our surprise the Synagogue is actually two very small rooms in the basement of a building and El Call does not really exist as a Jewish area anymore. However, it was still very interesting to learn that this is the oldest synagogue in Europe. Parts of the stone floors date back to the times of the Romans. After a long rainy day a rest was truly needed in order to stay awake for the late Spanish dinner. We decided to sample Paella a traditional spanish dish involving large amounts of rice with a choice or chicken, seafood, vegetables, or all three. Tomorrow we are off to Madrid!

Gaudi! Barcelona Dia Dos

Today we learned all about Antoni Gaudi, and I personally am a huge fan. First we started our day by getting breakfast at a large outdoor food market called Mercat de la Boqueria and coffee at Dunkin’ Donuts, which is called Dunkin’ Coffee over here. Then we hopped on the metro and rode to La Sagrada Familia. The construction began in 1882 and now 127 years later it still is not finished. In fact they do not think it will be completed until 2030. A third façade is to be added and enough towers so that they number eighteen. Gaudi’s connection to nature and his unique take on the art nuveau style is at the center of the design. In the interior columns shaped like tree trunks extend up to a ceiling made of what looks like the tops of palm trees. The exterior is the most impressive part. On parts of the roof are cones that are filled with fruits designed by mosaics. Almost all of the color in Gaudi’s structures comes from ceramic mosaics. Creating these pieces must have been so labor intensive it is amazing he was able to create so much. From there we went to the Parc Guell in the part of Barecelona called Gracia. The land was originally meant to be used as a garden city community with 60 homes. Only two houses were ever built on the land one in which Gaudi himself lived. Walking into the park is like entering a fairy tale, which is appropriate because Gaudi was inspired by Hansel and Gretel when designing it. We wandered through the winding paths and under the incredible stone archways built in typical Gaudi style. We visted his home which has been converted into a museum exhibiting his work and the actual furniture he used while alive. From there we took the metro to neighborhood called L’Eixample. Here we stopped for lunch in a café decorated in a very Gaudiesque manner. We ended up spending much more time there than we intended as it began to pour while we were eating. It even hailed a litter, but our waiter assured us this is very typical weather in Barcelona. Once the rain let up we walked over to La Pedrera. Another Gaudi masterpiece La Pedrera, also known as Casa Mila, was built between 1906 and 1912 as an apartment building. There is not one 90 degree angle or flat plain in the façade of the building. The walls undulate mimicking the motion of the sea and the steel around the balconies looks like seaweed dripping down the side of the building. The interior of the building is just as interesting with two interior courtyards encircled by the “o” shapped apartments. One apartment is set up to give an idea of what it would have looked like when the building was first used. The top floor is a museum that highlights all of Gaudi’s architectural work and shows how he used nature in his designs. Despite the recent downpour we were able to go up onto the roof which is decorated with unique sculpture and allows for a nice view of the city. As an end to our Gaudi themed day we walked a few blocks to see Casa Batllo which was built in 1905. Its exterior is completely covered in mosaics. Next to it are two other impressive and unique structures: Casa Amatller and Casa Lleo Morera neither of which were built by Gaudi. We walked back to our hostel occasionally ducking into shops to escape from the intermittent rain showers. After resting our feet a bit we went to see a Flamenco performance at a club called Taranton. It was incredible and so passionate. There were live musicians to accompany the man and woman who each performed. Afterward we ate a late dinner like the Spaniards do at a busy pub. After dinner we went to a jam club where we listened to local musicians and singers

Train and Barcelona Dia Uno

Today was a big travel day. We started off with a 9:14 train out of Marseilles to Montpellier which is more western along the coast. Whether it was due to the language barrier or a lack of knowledge on the part of the man at the Marseilles train station what we thought was going to be a four hour layover in Montpillier ended up only lasting for 30 minutes. From there we made our second stop at Portbou right on the other side of the border where we picked up a quick lunch before boarding our third and final train. The immediate change in language between the two train rides made it clear that we had finally arrived in Spain. We arrived in the Sants station in Barcelona around 5:30 p.m. after almost a full day of sitting on trains excited to finally have arrived. Barcelona did not disappoint. We emerged from the metro on to La Rambla a main street in Barri Gotica the Gothic quarter of Barcelona's Ciutat Vella (old city) and were immediately presented with lively crowds and beautiful scenery. Our hostel is called Pension Mari Luz and is located in Barri Gotica and while rustic is very charming. We are on the third floor and there is no elevator so getting our bags up to our room made up for our lack of exercise due to sitting on trains all day. After regrouping we set out to explore the surrounding area. We walked down La Rambla in the direction of the sea stopping to look at vendors and street performer. At the end of the street we found the mirrador de colon, a statue honoring Columbus placed atop a 164 ft column. We were able to take an elevator to the top were we enjoyed an amazing view of Barcelona. After returning to street level we went to a tapas bar called Bar del Pie and sampled some of the famous Spanish cuisine. Tomorrow promises to be aesthetically pleasing as we plan to set out to see the Gaudi Creations Barcelona is known for.

Marseilles Day 2

After stopping at an outdoor market for some breakfast we walked down to the Vieux port and took a tourist train to the Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde. It is a neo-Byzanthine church built in 1853. It is located on top of a hill and is visible for miles around. The exterior is green and white stripped stone and there is a 30 foot tall gold statue of the Madonna and Child on a steeple adjacent to the main structure. The interior is decorated with red and white stripped stone and incredibly ornate mosaics. The walls are covered in many sea themed paintings and model ships and strung from the ceiling. One can only assume this is all a tribute to the fact that Marseilles has a history of being one of France's main ports. The view from the top of the hill has breathtaking. We had a 360 degree view of the entire city. The Notre-dame-De la-Garde is located on the opposite side of the port to where we had walked around yesterday. This gave us a chance to see another part of the city. For dinner we decided to be daring and try a Tunisian restaurant. There is a large North African community in Marseilles and they definitely add to the local color. Tomorrow we say au revior to France and Holà to Spain as we head to Barcelona!

Marseilles Day 1

At 8:37 this morning we took a two and a half hour train ride from Nice to Marseilles. We are staying at the Hotel Vertigo hostel which is conveniently located across the street from the Train Station. After checking into our hotel we began to explore the city. It is a bit grittier than Nice but is still nice in its own right. We walked through an outdoor food market and then began to make our way down to Vieux Port Marseilles big port. The majority of the city is clustered around the port. The majority of the buildings are white and sort of a more cuibist style than the buildings in Nice. We stopped for lunch before reaching the port. From there we navigated the windy narrow streets of Le Panier the old area within Marseilles. We stopped to look at La Vielle Charite (the Old Charity. It was originally built during the 17th and 18th centuries by the architects Pierre and Jean Puget as a hospice for the homeless of Marseilles. It is made up of an egg domed Baroque chapel in surrounded by a collumed outer structure that houses Marseilles Museum of Medeteranian Archeology and Museum of African, Oceanic, and American Indian Art. After that we got a little lost but eventually found our way to the Cathedrale de la Nouvelle Major a beautiful neo-Byzanthine structure built by Napoleon III in the 19th century. It is green and white stripped marble and topped with multiple domes and decorated inside and out in an incredibly ornate manner. On our way back to the hostel we stopped at Marseilles own Arch D'Triumph. After resting up for a bit we walked down to the Vieux Port to have dinner followed by ice cream and a miniature cup of esspresso. Tomorrow we'll see what else Marseilles has to offer.

Nice Day Two

This morning we walked to the Matisse Museum in a part of Nice called Cimiez which is on top of a big hill and about an hour walk from our hostel. The museum itself is located within a small park made up of neat rows of olive trees. On the way to the museum we got a bit lost and happened upon a beatifull Monestary overlooking the entire city. The Museum is housed in a 17th century Geneose villa that is painted red and decorated with yellow trump-l'oeil (fake molding around the windows that from far away appears to be real). The permanent collection contains work from throughout Matisse's career including paintings, paper cutouts, and sculptre. It was amazing to see how his style changed. From there we walked to the Musee D'Art Moderne et D'art Contemporain (modern art museum). The Museum makes a point to showcase native artists and the galleries were filled with colorful and interesting pieces. Some were harder to grasp than others but over all it was a very fun museum. We walked up to the roof where we found an amazing view of the entire city. After a full day of walking a much needed break was taken before going to eat dinner outside on the Rue d' France. Tomorrow we say goodbye to Nice and make our way to Marseilles.

Nice is Nice (Nice Day 1)

After waking up at 2:30 a.m. for a 6:00 a.m. flight we finally made it to Nice in the French Riviera. The plane came down over the water and we got a breathtaking view of the cities coast. We navigated the bus system and made it to our hostel, The Mayerbeer Hotel, in no time at all. With no elevator we got in our morning workout lugging our suitcases up the three flights of stairs to our room. The view of the surrounding street from our quaint balcony definitely makes up for the serious shlep we had to endure to get up to it. After checking in we began to explore the city, first stopping to marvel at the beautiful seascape. Abby and I ventured on to the rocky beach to dip our feet in the water. We underestimated the strength of the tide and ended up much wetter than originally intended. After the beach we wandered through the charming streets. The buildings are so beautiful and many are painted in bright yellows and pinks with pastel shutters. At first we found the city to be surprisingly empty but after lunch time the streets became more lively. We walked to Vieux Nice the old part of the city where we walked around the Cours Saleya the town center filled with outdoor cafes and flower vendors which is also home to the house once occupied by the artist Matisse. We also walked through the Place Massena a square surrounded by colorful buildings and decorated by two fountains. After lunch in a little sandwich shop we visited the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate A cathedral built in the 18th century flanked by a bell tower and topped with a green and yellow mosaic dome. The interior was covered with frescoes and incredibly detailed decorations. From there we walked to a small park and stopped to take a ride on the carousel there. After that we took a gelato break and sat on the promenade that runs along the Riviera. We ate dinner at an outdoor pizzeria near the Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate. Afterwards we went to another restaurant that was advertising live music and found ourselves surrounded by Australians who are doing a group tour of Europe. So far Nice is pretty amazing.

Leaving Today

Tonight I will be flying off to London for 4 months! Before hitting the books I will be taking a two week trip to the South of France, Spain, and Portugal. It's going to be amazing. I just hope I can manage to keep my bags from being overweight.