Friday, April 13, 2012

Snowy Easter!

Auschwitz
... Krakow, Poland.  The last stop on my trip before I would head back to Madrid.  Here I am again traveling alone and I think I should first say Poland looks pretty sketch.  I kept to myself so I wouldn't have to find out but needless to say 3 guys were arrested off the train I was on to Krakow.  Not a great first impression.  In it's defense it is a beautiful place.  I arrived late at night and the girl who I was staying with was waiting on me at the train station.  We went to her place where she had cooked me some traditional Polish food.  It was vegetarian and as much as I like meat this was actually really good. 
The gate

Easter Blizzard in Krakow
Easter Market
I woke up early on Easter Sunday and took a short train ride to Auschwitz.  Even though it was closed for the holiday I still wanted to see it and wouldn't be able to go on Monday with what time my flight was leaving.  As soon as I stepped off the train it is just an eerily quite town.  I saw a lot of people but it was just absolutely silent.  When I made it to the gate of Auschwitz I I saw a security guard opening the gate, so I thought here's my chance.  So I took it and thought what's the worst that could happen.  I walked up to him and asked first if he spoke English and when he did I sweetly responded with I know you're not supposed to do this blah blah blah but could you let me in just to see the main gate.  He looked at me and said well I will  have to go with you and I said okay about as quick as he could finish his sentence.  After I said okay I really started to process what was going to happen.  I was going to go into Auschwitz with some Polish man alone and he was going to lock the gate behind us... definitely not the smartest thing I've done but it worked.  I saw the gate, quickly snapped my photos and left.  Although I didn't get to see hardly any of Auschwitz I and none of Auschwitz II it was still intense just being there.  All this means is that I have to make another trip back to get to see everything.  I finally made it back to the train station and after they cancelled 2 trains I finally got on a train bound for Krakow.  Side note: At this point I still do not have any Polish Zloty I only have my debit card and euros.  There was no one at the ticket window so I had to buy my ticket on the train which they don't accept euros or cards so I didn't really know what I was going to do.  Luckily some older man bought my ticket... yeah buddy!  Kinda sketch but he was very nice. 



Wawel Castle
The Park around Old Town
Now that I am back in Krakow it is pretty much a blizzard.  I went to the Main Market Square in Old Town where they had a Easter Market set up.  First off the Old Town is in the center of Krakow and it is completely surrounded by a park.  It was very beautiful and very interesting because I haven't seen a city set up like this before.  I walked just to the edge of the Old Town and saw Wawel Castle and Cathedral and then went back to get out of the cold.  Later on I met up with 2 close friends and we enjoyed some mulled wine in the square.  Interesting thing I tried: we went to a bar called Cheers (has to be good right)  where they had peanut vodka... sounds horrible... best vodka I have ever tasted.  My time in Krakow was short and of all the places I visited I hope that I get to go back and visit it and Auschwitz again.  By the end I couldn't have been more excited to get back to Madrid and sleep for hours! 

Next stop... U.S.A.  See you 6 days.... Mindy I can't believe you are getting married... can't wait to celebrate with everyone!! Until then!

I walked into a Disney Fairytale!

Charles Bridge
... I arrived in Prague! Here I was staying with a nice guy who just returned from India.  I lucked out because he was having friends over and he cooked us all traditional Indian food.  Yumm!!  The first day I attempted to go see things but it was raining cats and dogs so that didn't happen.  I woke up early the second day ready to go only to be welcomed by crappy weather again.  It wasn't exactly raining but it was cloudy and looked foggy as you can see in my pictures.
Statue outside of Kafka museum








Astronomical Clock







First I walked across the Charles Bridge (random fact: Kanye West filmed his music video Diamonds from Sierra Leone in Prague and part of it is on this bridge) from the Lesser Quarter (Mala Strana) to the Old Town Square.  Of course here they have multiple churches and a really neat Astronomical clock.  Also there was a nice Easter market here. The story has it that the architect of the clock had his eyes poked out by the Prague Councillors so that he wouldn't be able to reproduce his work.  Harsh!  Then I walked down to the Estates Theater where Mozart made his premiere with Don Giovanni.  Then I visited Wenceslas Square which is named after Saint Wenceslas (you know the guy from the Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas... he was actually just a Saint). 

Municipal House Hall
Then I walked down to the Powder Tower and the Municipal House Hall.  Here is where part of XXX (with Vin Diesel... the part where he is eating lunch with the female spy and then gets shot at from another building across the street) was filmed.  I continued by going to the oldest functioning synagogue in Europe (Old-New Synagogue) and the Kafka Museum.  Since I had to study Kafka in college I really enjoyed the museum but most people go to see the statue in front of the museum.  It is of 2 men using the bathroom.  Their hips swivel and other areas also move to make it seem even more realistic.  Quite strange but yet funny at the same time.  Before it got dark I walked over to see the John Lennon Wall.  It was first painted by young Czechs who wanted to express their opinions which also included the portrait of John Lennon and many Beatles's lyrics.  The day after it was painted authorities painted over it.  Young people came back and painted it again and authorities did the same.  This went on for some time until authorities gave up and now the portrait of John Lennon is long lost under layers and layers of graffiti.  After this I went to Prague castle.
View from the Prague Castle

John Lennon Wall
Peacock at Wallenstein Palace
According to Guinness Book of World Records this is the largest castle in the World.  It was pretty extensive and is well preserved despite many fires.  It is high on a hill so it had some very spectacular views and I would be lying if I didn't immediately think of what it would have been like to be a real princess as soon as I walked in the Castle.  What can I say Disney movies gave me false hopes as a child.  Something really cool inside the Castle was that they painted the family lineage on the walls and ceilings.  Outside of the church at Prague castle I got to catch a glimpse of a Czech rap music video being filmed... quite funny.  Before I went back I walked past Wallenstein Palace and the gardens, which is the Parliament building.  The gardens are beautiful and I even got to catch a glimpse at some regular and white peacocks.  I must say I was quite excited. 

Met some great people in Prague but unfortunately the weather was crap so hopefully at some point I will get to return and see it in a better light.  Then I left Prague only to have to travel almost 10 hours to make it to...

I Fell in Love.... with Budapest

At Gellert Hill
So when I think of a vacation I'm not going to lie Budapest definitely wouldn't have made it to the top 15 of places I wanted to go if I was living in the U.S.A.  But I had heard so many good things about it I figured heck why not give it a try.  Glad I did... truly underrated and one of my favorite places so far... with spectacular views I might add.  Also surprisingly not as sketch as I was expecting. 

View from Gellert Hill
In Budapest I had my best couchsurfing experience.  She was Hungarian and absolutely amazing.  Coincidentally her room mate just happened to be my flight attendant from Brussels South to Budapest.  As soon as I arrived she had a bottle of wine waiting on me and took me for a short walk on the Buda side.  I guess I should explain that Budapest is split in two the Buda side (which is hilly) and the Pest side (which is flat).  It is separated by the Danube River.  She lived on the Buda side so it was a short walk to Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, Gellert Hill where we stopped and watched the sunset and drank the wine.  What a perfect way to start my time in Budapest.  Being as passionate about wine as I am I must say that Hungary has the best wine I have drank so far.  Sorry Spain and Italy but there is a new favorite.  She cooked me a traditional Hungarian dinner which consisted of sausage, potatoes, cheese and sour cream (they LOVE sour cream in Hungary... apparently they didn't think that we had it in the U.S.A. either).  It was delicious.  She also bought me these traditional candies.  It's like a chocolate bar filled with flavored cream and it has to be refrigerated.  You can see the wrapper on the photostream She bought me two and they have a chance on the wrapper to win more.  I won an additional 3 to the 2 that she bought.  My favorite flavor I think was Black Cherry but I can't read Hungarian so I'm not really sure if that was the flavor.  I'm just guessing from the picture on the wrapper.  Surprisingly almost everything in Hungary is bi-lingual between English and Spanish, especially public transportation which was very helpful. 
The Danube/ Hungarian Parliament from the Margaret Bridge

The next morning I explored some on my own and started with a walk to Margaret Island.  This is an island located in the Danube between Buda and Pest.  It has a large park and great running trails.  Very peaceful and reminded me a lot of Retiro but less crowded.  Then I went to the City Park to see the Vajdahunyad Castle, Hero's Square, and Szechenyi Bath.  I also went to the Budapest Central Synagogue, the Great Market Hall (which had the largest package of salami I had ever seen in my life... it literally went from the floor to the ceiling) that is filled with souvenirs and food and then walked down to the Hungarian Parliament and St. Stephen's Basilica.  I went back where I was greeted with Chicken Paprika (they also LOVE to use Paprika in pretty much everything) which was even better than the first night.  Afterwards she took me to some touristy bars.  They are called the ruin pubs. In a travel magazine one of these pubs is supposed to be ranked the 3rd best bar in the world.  That's a lot to live up to.  It was actually pretty cool.  The story behind the ruin pubs are they were abandoned tenement buildings that were transformed into bars.  They decorated the bars with the left over furniture and knick-knacks that were left behind.  It's very dark and quite eccentric.  The whole building is used for the bar.  They have an open courtyard and they use the different apartments which they turned into bar rooms.  So if you ever find yourself in Budapest you have to check these out.

Outside of the Szecenyi bath
Inside of the bath
My last day in Budapest I was going to meet up with some friends of a friend.  I woke up to a full spread of a Hungarian breakfast and pastries.  Girl after my own heart.  Then I met up with these new friends and we decided we were going to go to the Szechenyi bath.  I don't think we planned on staying there the whole day but we did.  It was extremely relaxing and warm enough for me to sit outside in the outdoor pool all day!  We also spent some time in the mineral baths and saunas.  I'm pretty sure I almost feel asleep at one point.  Afterwards we met at a square and had dinner.  Mine consisted of Hungarian Sausage with Rosemary Potatoes.  Delicious!  When I got back they had an airplane bottle of palinka waiting for me.  This is specific to Hungary and is very strong.  Not the most delicious thing I have ever tasted.  Since it was my last night they decided to take me out again and we went to a different ruin bar.


The next morning I had to leave by 5:30 to make it to my 6:30 bus.  Hopped on the bus and 6 1/2 hours later....

Easter Break..... First Stop: Brussels, Bruge, & Luxembourg

@ the chocolate museum
Okay so I need to start by saying I had a 10 day vacation for Easter, or known as Semana Santa (Holy Week), in Spain.  Spoiled? I know!  :)

Also I haven't shared a quote in a while so here you go.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese

 This quote helped me through my whole trip during Easter Break.  You will understand after you read about all the places I have visited.  With that being said Mom & Dad please don't kill me or have a heart attack before I come home.

So to start with I was traveling alone for the most part, except for a few friends I met along the way and I did something that is very popular in Europe called CouchSurfing.  So instead of staying at a hostel you send a message to people in the city you are going to and ask them if you can stay with them.  First I know what everyone is thinking.  Small town girl traveling by herself through Europe and then asking complete strangers if she can sleep on their couch.  Stupid right?  Best experience of my life.  I now know that there really are good people still left in the world... and that maybe I'm to trusting of others.  Well you live and you learn and this was one of those times that it worked out.   Yes Mom & Dad I know I lied but you win some and lose some... I won this one.  I love y'all... don't forget that!  Now that that's off my chest let's get to the real story.

Chocolate display for the chocolate stores
The Lambic Brewery in Brussels
So I got to Brussels on Monday morning and went to where I was staying and dropped everything off and quickly left to go discover the city.  I must say the chocolate and beer IS all that it is cracked up to be.  Don't get me wrong I had some beer that I didn't like but overall some of the best beer I have tasted.  The chocolate pralines are to die for...  find me while I'm home and maybe I will be generous enough to let you try some! I started my first day with a tour of the chocolate museum and got to taste chocolate and see how they make pralines.  It was right off Grand Place (the main square) so I spent some time there and did some shopping at The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert.  Then I went to see the Manneken Pis statue.  You can see from my photo in the Picasa photostream that they change the statue occasionally and the day I went it was a vampire. I also walked up to the Royal Palace.  Before heading back I went to the Cantillon brewery to have some Belgian beer.  The beer they make is Lambic.  Now don't get me wrong it was really cool to hear about how they make the beer different from traditional beer, and I tasted other lambic beers on my trip that were delicious, but these were horrible!  Still pretty cool experience though.  The people I stayed with cooked me a great dinner and then took me out for beers.  The next day I woke up early and went and saw the Cathedral St. Michael and then met some of my friends.  We rented a car and drove to Bruge.  

Sam & I @ the brewery in Bruge
Bruge is very small but has canals running through it which makes it even more beautiful.  Downfall we went on a Saturday and it was packed with tourists and people trying to go shopping. We just walked around, attempted to get lost, went to a brewery, and I ate the specialty: french fries.  All Belgians will tell you that they are the ones who invented french fries.  I met some French people in Belgium and they also said that it was the Belgians.  The difference between their french fries and ours is that they fry them twice.. yes twice (they are true southerners at heart) and serve with a mayonnaise/ ketchup sauce.  I must admit they were delicious but you can't really go wrong with french fries.  

View from the Bock Casemates
On Sunday I met up with my friends again and we drove to Luxembourg to spend the day and stay the night there. Little history Luxembourg is the only Grand Duchy left in the world aka it's expensive.  We went to the capital Luxembourg City which is tiny.  It was beautiful and everywhere you looked someone was driving some sort of a very expensive car.  We went in the Bock Casemates... built by the Spanish during the war to be used as a defense system that could house soldiers and if needed the citizens.  It is underground and now there are 17km still remaining.  There used to be more.  After that we just walked around and saw the cathedral conveniently called Cathedral Notre Dame and the palace.  Epic story of Luxembourg: I had to take a bus from Luxembourg to Brussels South airport.  About a 3 hour bus ride away.  One of my friends decided he would wake up at 3 in the morning and drive me to the bus stop with our rental car.  This was great I could sleep a little later and wouldn't have to walk 20 minutes there.  When I got there I went to pull out my wallet... no where to be found... mini panic attack.  So we got back in the car and drove back to the hostel.  I ran to the room and found my wallet underneath my blanket.  Bad news is if I miss this bus I miss my flight because the next bus was in like 2 hours so I had to get on this bus.  Luckily driving like race car drivers we made it back in time.  Life saver.  

I made it safely to the airport and was off to my next location: Budapest!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Field Trips to London... is this really my job?

In front of the Tower of London with some of my students
Some of my kiddos outside of the Buckingham Palace
Of course I got lucky again and actually got paid extra money to go to London for a 2nd field trip with my school.  They came to me and asked is it okay if we give you 4 days off to go to London with students and 3 other teachers and then pay you additional money than we already pay you... let me think for a second... ummm YES!  So I agreed and we were off to London with 45 kids.  Let me put this in perspective... I am the only teacher on the trip that teaches all 45 of them so I think this gave them a sense of connection to me (aka they think I am their mother)  For every problem they encountered or any idea they had they were always running to me to see what I thought.  Needless to say it was a great but very exhausting trip. 

We left on Monday March 26th flying British Airways (another perk seeing as how I have been flying budget airlines the whole time I've been here... except for that one time to Amsterdam)  which definitely brightened my day.  We were picked up by bus and taken to the hotel and got everything ready for the day.  I must say I felt spoiled because I am not used to being chauffeured like this.

After getting everyone in their rooms and finally rounded back together we were off to see London. We saw Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square and let the kids go around and do some shopping around Picadilly.  There is nothing better than watching a kid who has never left his parent's house before on his first adventure alone in a new city.  For me it was definitely the most rewarding part of my experience with all of the students.  We were informed later that night after we arrived that we were probably going to have to cut our trip short due to the strikes in Spain.  COME ON SPAIN!  We had two options fly home a day early or stay 4 extra days.  There was no way our student's could afford that so we went with come home 1 day early.  The kids were devastated so here was our difficult task.  See as much as we can in 2 1/2 days.  Ready... GO!

I had to do it... little kid at heart
Some of my kids being goofy















The next day we spent seeing as much as possible.  St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Monument, a Boat Cruise down the Thames, the London Eye, Big Ben, the Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park, Kensington Park and of course some shopping at Harrods.  These kids were absolutely exhausted.  On our last day before we were chauffeured back to the airport we made a quick trip to King's Cross Station (Platform 9 3/4 for you Harry Potter fans) and to the British Museum.



The whole group
Although the kids were upset that we had to leave early I couldn't have asked for a better group to go to London with.  I am truly blessed that I was placed at the school I was this year as I am learning a lot about the teacher I am and how I affect students and how they can affect me when I least expect it.