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Category: Spain (page 8 of 9)

¡Barcelona Weekend!

February 25, 2012 / / 0 Comments

This past weekend, I finally got to visit Barcelona! The bus ride is about 4 hours from Zaragoza, which is not fun, but there is wifi and it’s about 60 euro cheaper than taking the train so I can’t complain. Since Barcelona is a much larger city than Zaragoza, the transportation prices were much more expensive (7 euro for a day pass on the metro) but more extensive so we were able to navigate the city very easily and in little time.

On Saturday, we first went to Sagrada Família (Holy Family), a minor basilica, designed by Antoni Gaudí. It has been under construction for over 100 years since the groundbreaking in 1882 and will not be finished until around 2026. It’s one of the most famous landmarks in Spain and a trip that I couldn’t pass up. Later, we ate lunch at a nearby outdoor cafe with the basilica in the background. Staring at the basilica while eating lunch and drinking sangria, I realized this is exactly why I chose to come to Europe.

After lunch, we headed out to Camp Nou, the stadium complex for FC Barcelona and the largest stadium in Europe. I chose not to take the tour because it was 22 euro to just walk around and I’m admittedly not a big soccer fan. We did get free tickets to the handball game going on in one of the other stadiums so we watched that instead of going on the tour.

Sunday was more of a relaxing day and we did a lot of just walking through the streets of Barcelona. We first went to the beach on the Mediterranean and then wandered around an older area of the city. From there we went to the Picasso museum which just happened to be free on Sundays. After the museum, we had some time to kill before our bus left so we wandered around a bit more, ate, and headed back to the hostel to pick up our luggage. I really enjoyed Barcelona and I’m definitely going to go back at least once (if not 2, 3, or 4 more times) before I go home!

Follow me on Twitter here for more updates (twitter.com/#!/SpainJordan) and view my Picasa web albums here: (http://bit.ly/y5AyqU)

Parisian Weekend

February 12, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Paris!

We were finally able to cross “Paris” off of our unofficial must-travel list and it was almost everything we thought it would be! After a short flight of just over 2 hours, we were in Beauvais (RyanAir’s cheap “Paris” airport that is actually an hour north) and were on a bus to Paris. Since none of us know any French beyond “yes, no, hello, goodbye, and thank you,” it was immediately apparent this would be somewhat of a challenge since almost no one speaks any English or Spanish. Anyway, we finally found a taxi that knew where our hostel was since the first 2 didn’t have an idea.

The hostel was nice, very clean, the staff spoke English, French, and Spanish, and they offered several services for a cheap price. It was also a 30 minute walk to the Eiffel and less than 10 to a metro station. I would definitely stay there again and for reference if anyone is looking for a cheap place in Paris, it’s called “Aloha.” After we tossed our bags in the storage closet, we headed out for the Eiffel Tower!

Since the line to get elevator tickets was, literally, at least 500 people long, we waited 5 minutes and got the walking tickets. It was extremely cold that weekend and the walk must have taken us over an hour to get to the second level minus the time we spent walking around the first level. Since we couldn’t walk from the second level to the top, we bought elevator tickets which ended up costing the same as if we had bought them on the ground but we didn’t have to wait in the long line so it was a fair trade-off. The view from the top is spectacular!

We also went to the Trocadéro (seen in the foreground of the large photo) which is a popular spot to take pictures of the Eiffel. Later on day 2, we met up with my friend Charlotte and she showed us around the Arc de Triomphe and went to dinner at a Japanese restaurant. The third and final day was the busiest but the most fun by far! Early in the morning, we went out to see the Eiffel one more time and then went to the Louvre, Sainte-Chapelle, Notre Dame, and walked along the Seine for a bit. We thought about going to the catacombs but they were closed by the time we looked into it. We had a really productive day so I won’t miss it in the least.

Paris was almost everything we expected except for the cold and the prices. It was ridiculously cold even though I’m told it’s normally much colder with snow. The prices there are enough to make you not want to go back but it is possible to find a few moderately cheap places if you look. Bakeries tend to be fairly cheap and you can buy a whole baguette for just a euro. Chinese restaurants are also reasonably priced but don’t expect to find many cheap French restaurants.

If you’d like to see all the photos I took in Paris (about 200) check out my Picasa page (http://bit.ly/y5AyqU). You can also follow me on Twitter for more day-to-day posts (https://twitter.com/#!/SpainJordan). I also have trips planned to Portugal, England, and Switzerland/Germany in the coming months in addition to my normal Spain postings so look out for those!

 

 

A view of Zaragoza from the park

Zaragoza Week 2 and Cultural Differences

January 25, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Hello and welcome to my second post! I thought I’d do something a little different this time by breaking it up a little and including two sections. If you have any suggestions or post requests, send them my way as I’m always looking for interesting ideas!

A view of Zaragoza and the park from Alfonso I statue

Cultural Differences Aside…

Having been here nearly 3 weeks now, I’ve noticed quite a few things that we might label “peculiar” or at least “interesting” in the US. Note that these are just my observations and are not in any way representative of everyone. There are many I could list but for length purposes, here are 3 I thought were a little amusing:

1. Dogs. The Spanish love their dogs and the fact that most people live in apartment buildings has not been a deterrent for owning them. I live near 2 parks and it’s not uncommon to see people of all ages, at every possible time of the day, walking every breed of dog. The downside to this is that many are not on leashes especially at the university where the leashed dogs are the minority. I’m still not certain if there are leash laws here but it would probably help with the, uh, sidewalk maintenance if not.

2. Late nights/Meal times. People here walk much more than in the US and a “short” walk is considered to be around 20 to 30 minutes. A “longer” walk is usually considered to be around 30-50 minutes. I know people that refuse to take public transportation even if it’s an hour walk in one direction. I say this because it’s not uncommon to see people just walking the streets as late as 10 or 11 p.m. depending on the day. It’s definitely a night culture as evidenced by the meal times. Breakfast is at a normal time but lunch is typically not eaten until the siesta which is between 2-4 or 5. Everything closes during this time with the exception of a few places and people go home to eat and then rest for a while before heading back to work. Dinner is normally eaten between 9 and 11 p.m.

3. ¿Qué hora es? (What time is it?). If you’re in Spain, it rarely matters. This is because, from what I’ve observed, most times are non-specific and include an unstated but understood “around” thrown in. For example, my morning class is supposed to begin at 9 but in reality, the earliest it ever starts is 9:15. This is not to say all given times are like this but if a student or teacher comes to class 15 minutes late, it’s not a problem at all and nothing is said. It’s a rare occasion if at least one person doesn’t arrive late to class 15 minutes or more. For me, this has been a little difficult to get accustomed to because I normally arrive 15 minutes early and then wait 30 minutes for class to actually begin.

Another Week and More Exploring 

Alfonso I "El Batallador" King of Aragón between 1104 and 1134

Nothing has really changed since my last post other than a short trip to the biggest park in Zaragoza and bowling with a few of my friends. Even though it’s winter, the park we visited was beautiful and I saw more green than I have since I left Indiana. The whole area is actually very dry so it was somewhat of a shock to see a swathe of green grass in Zaragoza. The park was nice but full of political graffiti just like almost every other public area. My favorite was a protest against government surveillance that said something like “They’re watching you.” At the top of the hill that overlooks the park (where the large photo was taken from), there is a statue of Alfonso I “El Batallador.” He was the King of Aragón between 1104 and 1134.

A few nights ago, a few friends and I went to the second biggest mall in Zaragoza, Gran Casa (Big House), to shop and then bowl. It was a great night and we ate at our first McDonald’s in Europe. Since I’m vegetarian, I can’t say how good the sandwiches were but the fries tasted, unsurprisingly, the same as in the US.

I’m leaving for Paris Friday night and arriving early on Saturday so check back sometime next week for a Paris-themed blog! Until then, thanks for reading and you can follow me on Twitter for more updates here: twitter.com/#!/SpainJordan
and view my Picasa web albums here: picasaweb.google.com/102363422858711117798

 

Bowling - My team. Jørgen, Christina, Lin, me.

All 5 of us! Elliott, EB, Katie, Josh, me.

My apartment building in Zaragoza.

Week One in Zaragoza, Spain

January 19, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog post and thanks for reading! I’m Jordan Harner, an International Business and Spanish double-major, studying in Zaragoza, Spain for one semester. Zaragoza is a medium-size city in the autonomous community of Aragon with around 700,000 people midway between Madrid in central Spain and Barcelona on the east coast. I currently attend the University of Zaragoza and live with a wonderful host family!

Arrival

My apartment building in Zaragoza.

It’s been a little over a week since I’ve been here and I feel like I’ve completely adjusted already. Everything has been fantastic and more than I expected overall with the exception of just our arrival which proved to be a little more complicated that we anticipated. Originally, we had planned to take a bus from Barajas Airport in Madrid to Zaragoza but we were unable to purchase tickets online because of our American credit cards. A little irritating, yes, but we figured we could buy them when we arrived. To our surprise, the ticket machine was broken and it happened to be an obscure holiday that day (which seem to be a common occurrence here) so we couldn’t buy our bus tickets from the bus office either because it was closed. With no other options, we took a high-speed train which costs 60 euro one way. I shed a small tear when I paid but I have to admit the train was a cool experience and much faster than by bus to boot.

After our arrival in Zaragoza, Manuel, a student at Valpo that lives in Zaragoza, was kind enough to pick us all up from the train station and take us to our apartments. He has a small car and I’m fairly certain cramming 5 people and 12 pieces of luggage into a car including one piece sticking part-way out of the window is illegal but definitely an interesting way to begin our journey. Anyway, I really appreciate him helping us out so I want to give a big shout out to Manuel if he ever reads this!

Above is a picture of the apartment building where I live. I live right across from a fairly new mall, the Aragonia, which also happens to be quite empty since it was completed when the recession began. Nieves is my host mom and I also have a host sister, Lupe. My host mom also has a boyfriend, Francisco, who is here fairly often as well. They’re all great people and I know I’ll learn a lot more Spanish living with a host family versus having my own apartment.

Classes

My classes are from 9:00 to 1:30 Monday through Friday with a half hour break midway through. By “9,” that means “around 9” or whenever the professor arrives. I’ve quickly learned that Spanish times are rarely taken literally. My morning class is a grammar class with Professor Alicia and my afternoon class is a culture class with Professor Marina. Both are fantastic teachers and I feel like I’ve learned so much more Spanish after being here just over a week.

Night Excursion

The first day I arrived, I was extremely tired but since Manuel was still in Zaragoza, he offered to give all 5 of us a brief tour of the city along with a few of his friends. We walked everywhere and my feet hurt for a while after but I learned a lot about the city and a few of its major landmarks which include The Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar (Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar), La Seo, and Aljaferia Palace. We went inside the Basilica for a few minutes right up until close and it was absolutely stunning! It’s beautiful on the outside and just as great on the inside. I have yet to see it during the day and I’ve been told the stained glass skylights are a must-see as well as a chance to climb one of the bell towers to see the whole city for 2 or 3 euro. Hopefully I’ll get there this weekend. To the left is a picture of part of the Basilica by night.

I know this was a bit brief but I had a lot to cover so hopefully I can go into greater detail in the coming posts. Thanks for reading and I’ll be taking a trip to Paris in two weeks so check back often for that and more of my adventures in Spain!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow me on Twitter for more of my enthralling adventures: https://twitter.com/#!/SpainJordan

View my Picasa web albums: https://picasaweb.google.com/102363422858711117798


My Spanish Uncle

December 21, 2010 / / 1 Comment

Well, after some difficulty getting a connecting flight from Heathrow this weekend (see news article), I have made it home safely! I was extremely lucky to make it back yesterday, many folks are still stuck in London. My bag is somewhere out there in the world, but I was assured last night that there is a very high likelihood I will have it by Christmas. Just another one of the many adventures I have had on this trip. While in line I could help but snap this ironic photo.

My journey begin with Juan, a professor at the University of Granada, dropping me off at Granada’s bus station after kindly offering to do so earlier in the week. Our meeting was a strange occurrence, it’s a random story but I’ll plunge along nevertheless.

Back in October I started chatting with Jose, a man that lives on a street I passed on my way to school. I wanted to see why Jose chose to live on the street since the Spanish Government provides dormitory housing to anyone in need. Really though, I wanted to get to know the guy and hopefully see him move to a better future.

One evening when I was talking to Jose, a man approached me and asked where I was from in Spanish. As soon as I said Massachusetts he lit up and switched to an impressive English and said, “Oh I got my post doc at UMass Amherst and now I teach Civil Engineering here.” I was a pretty shocked.

We talked a bit more and Juan explained that he approached me because he also knew Jose. He had just come out of Mass, which was when I then discovered that Jose’s spot on the street was right next to a small church. I decided that my meeting Juan wasn’t a coincidence so I asked him if he wanted to have coffee sometime and took down his email.

Over the weeks I met Juan several times at his office. We went to lunch at the University dining hall and to a few different tapas bars. I gained a better insight into the Spanish education system and had great, personal conversation in Spanish and English along the way. On my last week we met and had a great talk. His being Catholic and my not being so (although being Christian) provided us with great topics. It never got heated but we definitely weren’t afraid to state beliefs. It reminded me of all the quality conversations I have back at Valpo, whether on similar subjects or a host of others.

Toward the end of the evening Juan asked how I was leaving and then offered to drive me to the bus station. I was thrilled to avoid paying a for a taxi and to have someone to see me off, and later said “Juan, you’re treating me like a father, thank you!” We laughed and he said, “well, you have a father, so I can be like an uncle.”

There you have it, now I have a Spanish Uncle who I will stay in contact with and look forward to seeing again when I, God willing, return to Spain with my family one day. Now that’s a dream and a blog for another time!

General James

December 9, 2010 / / 2 Comments

My good friend James came to visit for the last 5 days. We had a blast exploring Granada. We went to several areas in the northern part of the city, the Albaicin (Muslim quarter), and the Realejo (Jewish quarter) that I hadn’t seen yet. After seeing the Alhambra on our first day we went up into Sacromonte to see a cave museum. While we took some time for lunch we began a goofy video series that I have edited into the fine document you have below. I hope you enjoy it. (enjoy my blatant typo at the beginning too)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYLqjVnRT-M]

On Sunday we headed up into the Alpujarras. My third trip there was still more distinct than the last. We started in Bubión and took a local trail all the way up to the beginning of the Sierra Nevadas. It only took us one hour to finish the trail so we kept going. Within another hour we were convinced that we were very close to a peak, clearly not a high one, but we just wanted to be able to see into the valley on the other side of what we were climbing. Of course, an hour later we were proved wrong about five times and had climbed so far we were up to our ankles in snow!

When the digital clock beeped 3:30 it was time to turn around and “respect the mountain” as James reluctantly said. We had just reached a lookout point with explanatory signs and such things. It was our last hope of a summit and it wasn’t one. We followed another trail around the next point of rocks only to find again that the mountain continued further. We took photos with freezing hands and headed down while enjoying a view of the higher parts of the Sierras, the valley, a lake, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Final program sponsored trip: Toledo and Madrid

December 1, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Big praise to our cooperative school, Central College and the excellent program they have established here. I had no idea how many different trips and opportunities they would have prepared for us here.

We went to Morocco for five days, to Jaen to see a bullfight and some caves, to Toledo and Madrid for a weekend, to a local concert in Granada, and to an olive oil factory in the mountains. We also had a Thanksgiving banquet last week and we will have a farewell banquet next week as well, all on the program! Of course I did pay for the program (let’s not forget to give thanks for scholarships), but I really didn’t expect to have so many provided experiences, especially considering that I paid a little less for this semester than I did for one in Valpo. How about that?!

Toledo and Madrid were superb, I’ll let the photos do the majority of the talking. View the complete album here on Picasa.

So you know the expression "Holy Toledo"? Well, turns out Toledo has an unreal number of churches, something like 81, hence the term.

Suzanne, Tom, me, Amy and Kelsey, who decided that since doesn't go to Valpo she couldn't face forward, come on Kelsey!!

View of the Puerta del Sol from our hotel. We we're right in the heart of Madrid.

Palacio Real, riveting to look around inside. Just imagining that the royal family lived there and that the building is also used today is incredible.

Well, here I am in December! A good friend of mine is coming to visit tomorrow during my pre-exam break. I´m really looking forward to exploring the city more and making the most of my last few weeks to indulge in Granada´s tapas.

Olive Oil in Spain

November 23, 2010 / / 1 Comment

Olive oil, along with wine and bread, are staples of the Spanish (and Mediterranean) diet. I enjoy extra virgin olive oil direct from my host family’s village daily on salads. It’s really strong stuff, would ruin soups or other cooked foods, but it’s great for salad, and so healthy! I also enjoy the not so healthy things, like the fries and eggs that my host mother cooks in a saucepan full of oil. Yes.

My program went to a nearby village to visit an old fábrica de aceite de oliva, olive oil factory. It was pretty crazy to see with my own eyes just how old the tradition is. We saw two presses, one from Roman times, another from Arab times.

A Roman olive grinder. Everything you see here is the real deal, original equipment from before Christ!

The above equipment is called a Molina de Sangre, which literally translates as blood mill, but means a mill powered by animals. During a harvest this mill would run 24/7 using a rotation of animals. The above process produces a paste or dough which is then taken to a separate place to have the oil pressed out of it.

An advanced press from Arab times, centuries IX - XV.

Arab technologies were much more advanced that those of the Romans. They harnessed the power of the mountain rivers using pipes and a waterwheel to grind the olives. After they would place the paste into rope baskets and put them below the press in the top right corner of this photo. Two men would then turn the bars below and oil would fall through the rope basket into large clay cisterns. What falls from the olives really ought to be called juice, because at first is is full of water, not just oil. Arabs used a series of cisterns to let the oil naturally separate from the water, then they would use large ladles to remove the oil. Then you’re done, no processing necessary.

Outside of the factory, the small partitioned sections belonged to individual farmers for them to place their olives before the oil would be extracted.

Las Alpujarras

November 16, 2010 / / 0 Comments

I have spent the last two Saturdays up in the Alpujarras, a mountain range on lower south side of the Sierra Nevada characterized by its spring water and Jamón Serrano (ham that is dried in the mountains). The Alpujarras has many small villages tucked into the sides of the mountains or on plateaus. You can hike the entire Alpujarras in one week on the GR-7, which runs through the Alpujarras all the way up through Spain, France, and Italy, to Greece.

The GR-7 looking over Lanjarón

On my first trip I went with four others to Lanjarón, a long and narrow village. Using my Andalucia Travel guide from Lonely Planet (a must have for this semester, thank you mom) we stopped at a tourist office where the guide showed us a good trail and gave us a map. Then we went to check out the view from the Arabic castle. It was phenomenal. The Alpujarras doesn’t get a lot of attention because it’s right next to the Sierra Nevada, so the castle was a great find that not too many know about.

My second trip was with another set of friends, this time we headed to Pampaneira. When we arrived the tourist guide told us we could take the bus from a village further up the mountain, so that way we would have time to make a substantial hike. We headed up and sideways along the valley through Bubión and Capileira, stopping every little while to take in the view. At one point I could see the snow capped Sierra Nevadas, the village dotted valley I was in, the lake it led to, and the sun-reflecting Mediterranean ocean, all from one place!

Classic Alpujjaras pine trees on the way to Bubión

Nearing the end of our trek we tried to cut off the path in order to try to summit before the bus came. Of course, fate would have it that we just ended up in a field with a horse staring at us. Then we had to walk behind what looked like a quiet house, only to find a small barbecue party on the other side. After they stared at us once they pretended like we didn’t exist, phew! We awkwardly played along and walked around their house back to the street. Embarrassing!

We found a praying mantis on the hike! Had a blast doing some photography with him

We ended up having a little time in Capileira before the bus came, so we sat down at Bar El Tilo to have tapas. At one point I had

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...

to ask if we could have a minute to think and was told, “En las Alpujarras no hay estres” (in the Alpujarras there is no stress). Very chill, thank you cool waiter guy with yoga pants. Then as we ate the plaza below us filled up with people lining up to get roasted chestnuts. At first puzzled, I went down to check it out and discovered they were free! Someone gave me a small newspaper which I used to scoop some up. So great! I have no idea who was cooking them or why they were free, or if it was custom, but it was fantastic.

Tapas

November 9, 2010 / / 0 Comments

Tapas: small Spanish savoury dishes , typically served with drinks at a bar. Origin: Spanish tapa, literally ‘cover, lid’ (because the dishes were given free with the drink, served on a dish balanced on, therefore ‘covering’, the glass).

I would correct this definition from Oxforddictionaries.com with the present tense, “are.” Well, in part. The tradition of free tapas only remains in the province of Granada, and they don’t balance the tapa on top of the drink anymore, thankfully if you ask me. You may have had tapas in America, possibly at a Tapas Bar, there’s a good one in Indianapolis I believe. You also might have told someone about such a tapas bar, only to have them stare at you and quietly ask “a topless bar?” Clearly you have no such problem here in Granada.

A little while ago I began some independent searching on Calle Navas, which I have heard is the most famous street for bars in Spain. On Navas you reach a new bar every 4-8 steps, it’s that full of bars. Usually you can get a nice beer or wine for 1.70-3 euros and then, depending on the bar, you get anything from a small serving of Jamón Serrano to whole plate full of Mariscos (seafood, usually clams and the like). Not being a red meat eater and being a little skiddish of  clams (although fish are amazing here) I have been a big fan of Patatas a Lo Pobre, which I heartily enjoyed at Bar La Abadía. Athough the bartender was in need of a shower, he was nice enough and left me in peace as I sat outside and reviewed for midterms. What’s great (although sometimes problematic) about Spain is that no one cares how long you stay at their bar or cafe. They won’t even pester you by asking if you want another drink. The problem side is payment, sometimes you have to pretend like you’re leaving in order to get a check. Of course, that can also be quite funny. I really enjoy the relaxed manner of tapas though, sitting uninterrupted for one hour to study over good food and a beer for only 1.70 euro was just what I needed.

Inside Bar La Abadia, it was only 7PM, which is way before most Spaniards start heading out.

Although the origin is disputed, authors hold that The tapas tradition began in the XIII century when King Alfonso X the wise (el sabio) got sick and his doctor advised him to eat small bites of food with sips of wine throughout the day. When the king recovered, he mandated that nowhere in Castilla would wine be served with out a bit of food. Tradition has it that this helped the people avoid alcoholism and provided more food for those that didn´t have much money for protein rich foods. Because the tapa was balanced over the drink, it also prevented flies or other distasteful things from getting into the drink.

So, there you have it. ¡Vamos de tapas! (Let’s go out for tapas!)

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