Jamon at the Eifel Tower and Lost in Paris

Wow, so a lot has happened since I posted last. Yesterday in Paris we had quite the adventure. After wandering the Louvre Museum for a couple hours and paying visit to the Venus DiMilo we found our way back to the Eifel Tower. Clearly Liz and I were fans of the tower considering that this was our 3rd visit to the Tower in less than 3 days. Anyways, we found ourselves waiting in line for tickets to the top for almost 2 hours. Surrounded by screaming children we decided that small children should not be allowed in Europe. Sorry. No children allowed. They aren't going to remember going to the top of the Eifel Tower when they are 2 years old so.... WHY TAKE THEM? Really, PLEASE DONT BRING YOUR SMALL CHILDREN TO EUROPE!!

Anyways, we surrived the 2 hour wait and were amused by some Spanish people about our age on the elevator up to the Eifel Tower. The entire ride up they didn't realize that we understood what they were saying. (This is the mistake we usually make when speaking English and presuming people don't understand us.... a cute security gaurd may have overheard and understood me telling Liz how adorable he was... oops!) Anways, back to the Spanish. Liz and I were entertained with ourselves being able to figure out what they were saying. I was trying to convice Liz she should introduce herself and we were clearly entertained by our new Spanish friends. Then while waiting for the final elevator to the very tip top of the Eifel Tower the loud, goofy Spaniard of the group pulls out this bag out of his backpack. Liz and I could not help but laugh hysterically when we realized it was Jamon (ham, the staple and obsession of the Spanish diet). They even offered to share but if 2 months in Spain has taught me anything at all, it has taught me that Jamon and I are not wonderful friends, so I politely declined, in Spanish of course. You would have thought that this would be their clue that we UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING they were saying but no.... they were still presuming, in France no one speaks Spanish. Man were they wrong. Anyways, this story is getting long and later in the long line Liz and I were casually talking about a certain someone in our group that would have been complaining in our paticular situation (aka Maletas) and this was over heard by our Spanish friends. At this point they get the shocked look on their face and one guy says ellas es espanolas, realizing that we had understood just about everything they had said for the past 2 hour wait. Ok so maybe that story was longer than necessary but the point is, don't say anything in a foreign country and presume everyone else won't understand you. It doesnt work that way. So after this long wait we made it up, absolutley petrified by the fastest elevator ride of my life, to the top of the Eifel Tower. I saw it sparkle twice and then came back down to enjoy another picnic.

On the way home after our wonderful final day in Paris Liz and I fell upon a minor problem. Our lack of French thus far had not been a burden. We were still able to order NUTELLA CREEPES, get into museums and enjoy our time in Paris. Or atleast until the metro died that was. We were headed home and waiting for our final train when we realized it was dead. We couldnt understand the announcements or comprehend what the French people were telling us. By some act of God we were rescued though by a random French woman who showed us how to get back to our metro stop via a long, maze like walk through a strange part of town. Although doubt crossed my mind when I realized I was following a total stranger home (she lived close to our metro stop) but it all turned out ok. We got home and without the un-named French women we would have still been in the metro today instead of in Prague.

But now we are in Prague and things continue to be amazing. After checking into our hotel and taking a quick nap (siesta is vital when vacationing!) we headed out in search of food. Although we have only been here a short time we have learnt a couple of things. 1. Food in Prague is cheap (thanks to the crown) and all comes backed with cheesy goodness topping. 2. Chocolates in Prague are even cheaper and rather amazing. We spent the rest of our evening wandering around the cold yet beautiful city of Prague. I will post pictures soon, I promise.

Anyways, now I am spending Halloween night hanging out in my hostel with Liz, meeting interesting American/French boys who would have been helpful to know before our Paris adventure. But I should be going. This post is entirely too long, sorry! I hope all is well state side and can't wait to see you all even though I don't ever want to leave Europe where I can fly to Paris for the weekend for less than 100$. But I will be home in 40 days, until then, be good, stay in touch and enjoy the DC fall for me.

love and besos!
Heather

Greetings from PARIS

Hello!!

Greetings from the wonderful city of Paris France. I have been here 2 days now and am LOVING IT. Saturday, after a night in the Madrid airport with my amigos, I took an early flight into Paris.

After a quick nap and pizza lunch, Liz and I found our self in hunt of the Eifel Tower. While navigating across 3 lines of the metro and through the city we found the Eifel Tower and some creepy, yet nice, Egyptian men. We managed to loose the strange men in the crowd and were able to admire the tower in peace. We then wandered the area to the Invaildes and took some time to plan out our France weekend. We then had the genius idea of PICNIC at the Eifel Tower. Bread, wine, cheese, fruit and some KINDER RINOS made for a wonderful dinner and we saw the Eifel Tower SPARKLE twice!

Today we spent the morning admiring the MONA LISA at the Louvre and enjoyed the more religious Paris in the afternoon. Just as Paco claimed, the Sainte Chappelle was amazing with all of the stained glass windows. My only question is "how many pieces of glass are there in the Sainte Chappelle?" Creating that wonderful ness is clearly not a job for me. Maybe I would be better suited to be the one who breaks all of the glass into shards. I can drop a plate or cup with the best of them. Entirely different, yet amazing all the same, Notre Dame (home of Quasi Modo) was HUGE and the bells rining reminded me of the Disney Movie. After our adventurous afternoon we had NUTELLA CREEPES from a corner stand and shopped a little. (Don't worry Mom, I didn't spend that much.) Our evening was spent climbing 284 stairs (not an easy task after 2 lbs of Nutella Creepe) to the top of the Arc de Triomphe where Hitler once sent his troops goose stepping by during WWII . The evening was ended with an impromptu Spanish lesson on the 284 stairs down thanks to Liz and being made fun of by the French people behind us becuase we were walking too slow.

All in all I LOVE FRANCE. The people are rather evil, but sit that aside and you have a wonderful city. It is acceptable to drink bottles of wine in public places. Jewlery is sold by its weight. Bread and cheese can be found at every other street corner. Creepes stuffed with Nutella (chocolate and hazelnut in a spreadable form, kinda like peanut butter but BETTER) are on the other street corners.

But it is getting late and my internet cafe time is almost out so I am going to sign off for now. Tomorrow we are back to the Lourve and the Invalides and going up to the TOP of the Eifel Tower. Tuesday we fly to Prague, Thursday night to Berlin and Monday back to Madrid. Email me or facebook me but stay in touch.

Hasta luego,
Heather

Over half way done.... YIKES

Ok, so last Saturday was 50 days of my 100 days total in Spain. Can I belive that I am at the half way... NO! Am I ready to go home... NO! Do I miss things from home... YES!

Random list of things I miss the most about the US:

1. normal lined notebook paper
2. peanut butter
3. closed toe shoes... yes I was genius and only brought tennis shoes
4. the way they serve meals so efficently
5. punctuality
6. unlimited nights and weekends cell phone plans
7. the efficent way that we load and unload the metro during rush hour in DC
8. soft baked cookies
9. clothes fresh out of the dryer
10. full power hair dryers
11. feeling literate in the local language

Things that are amazing in SPAIN:

1. Tortilla de Espanol
2. The cheese, egg and tuna amazing-ness my senora makes
3. October sun burns
4. abundance of travel spots
5. the beautiful language i butcher daily
6. the history that puts the 200 year history of the US to serious shame
7. my lack of academics (excpet for midterms, papers and finals)
8. no pasa nada (the moto that means ¨dont worry about it¨)
9. eating our way through the Mediterreanean
10. Chistea (aka Joke, my Spainish Yellow Lab)

Classes are good, the midterms are done so I can officially go on Fall break to PARIS, PRAUGE and BERLIN without a thought about my academics. I found out today that it is going to snow while I am in Berlin so I am REALLY excited.

For all of those who heard the computer got stolen, the good news is my new MAC will be here waiting for me after fall break. I need lessons on how to use the thing but all will be good and I will be reconnected with the world.

Ok well I should be going. I have packing to do and sleep to catch up on.

Besos from Spain!

Heather

OH PS-- Friday night until November 6 I will be traveling... email me and i will try to catch an internet cafe while I am out.

Update on Life

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted anything relevant at all. Life has been a little bit crazy, but wonderful none the less.

Ok so my birthday was last week and was amazing. We had a great night out on the town and I was able to sleep in until noon the next day, YEAH FOR SLEEP. The only down side of my birthday was I arrived to school and found out that my computer had been stolen from the program office. :( Whoever stole it deserves to have their hands cut off but I bought a new MAC on Monday and it should be here tomorrow! Owell, why not go more broke while I am in Spain! The good news was my pictures were still almost all on my camera still, phew they are not gone for ever! The bad news is my law school application stuff is gone! :(

Last weekend we went to Barcelona to see all sorts of art stuff. It is a really beautiful city and we had a great time. The night train there was quite the expierence and I have officially become a pro at sleeping on moving vehiciles (trains, planes, buses, really anything). I would say though the highlight of the trip was riding the BARCA Bus (the bus for the official Barcelona football aka soccer team).

Now I am back home trying to get life orgainzed, enjoy Madrid and pass my midterms. Saturday night I am off to Paris, Prague and Berlin for Fall break.

Besos and Love from Spain!
Heather

Midterms... YIKES

Ok so for the past 52 days i have been learning a lot. My classes are really interesting and wonderful but the trips and hands on things are where I do the learning thing. My classes have no homework and I don´t have the burning desire in me to do the readings. Minor problem with this is that MIDTERMS ARE TODAY!!! Yikes! How am I expected to go from 52 days of vacay and travel to 4 exams in 1 week? If you figure it out let me know. Until then I will be failing my mediterranean politics midterm in less than an hour.... yeah, posting instead of studying I am!

Besos from Spain!
Heather

Turkey Pictures

The blue Mosque in Istanbul!












The Hagia Sofia in Istanbul!













Alicia, Theresa and I in the Blue Mosque!














Turkish Toilets... UCK!! oh and it is a public affair... NO THANK YOU!











Gotta run, must pack for Dublin tomorrow!

Besos!
Heather

Greece Pictures

Sunset at Cape Sunion/ The Temple of Poseidon, althought the pictures don't do it justice, this was an amazing site... the most beautiful sunset of my life!











Acting like my favorite greek god (hercules) at the ACROPOLIS in Athens...















Santorini, the most amazing Greek Island!














on the Tender to Mykonos with Theresa, Meagan and Leslie...










I had a wonderful time. Can't really put words to all of it. I am now back in Madrid recovering from my OCTOBER sunburn and serious case of jet lag. Off to Dublin and Edinburgh on Thursday. More pictures are up on facebook. Love and miss you all!

Besos!

Heather

Greece and Turkey

Top 10 moments in Greece/Turkey

1. Riding donkeys up a steep incline to Santorini and fearing for my life.... then watching the most beautiful sunset in the world.

2. Watching the stars from the top of the cruise ship after an afternoon at Mykinos, one of the best Greek Islands ever!

3. Eating lunch on pillows on the floor of a restraunt in Turkey!

4. Sun bathing during our afternoon siesta on the cruise ship... i have a tan that would make EVERYONE jealous!

5. Shopping at the Grand Bazar and having millons of Turkish men hitting on us and calling us Charlies Angels and Spice Girls.

6. Being woken up by the prayer calls at 5:30am in Istanbul.

7. Staying in a hotel in Greece with a wonderful view of the acropolis on Monday night and then staying in a hotel in Turkey with a wonderful view of the Blue Mosque on Tuesday night.

8. Realizing I am getting credit for all of this.... siesta, sun, EVERYTHING!

9. Meals together... a never ending supply of happiness!

10. Knowing that we still have time left here and this is only the first of MANY trips!!

Greetings from Greece!

I have to run cause I am in an internet cafe and still smell like donkey from last nights right.... dinner is at 8:15 so i gotta run. Just wanted to say I am having a fab time and will be back to internet in a week. Much love and kisses!

Heather