This month is going to be, and already has been, one of the most spectacular months of my life. In fewer than 31 days, I will have visited Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Zaragoza, Granada, and Málaga. What a life!
This crazy month began on the 19th, when I packed up all of my belongings and headed to Paris on an overnight train. I bought the cheapest seats available, which meant that I ended up in a reclining chair (and they use the word "reclining" loosely). This "Princess and the pea"-esque sleeper, however, was able to fall asleep unbelievably easily thanks to the steady rocking of the train, and the soothing sound of the clicking of the tracks. Also, as little as I have liked sharing rooms in the past, I am someone who feels safer sleeping in the same vicinity (but never the same bed!) as other people, so, as it turns out, my little chair ended up being my ideal sleeping environment!
I arrived at our hotel the morning of the 20th, but due to a #$%*ing blizzard, my family wasn't able to join me until the next day. So I set out to sightsee on my own, which, much to the frustration of my entire family, I actually prefer, though what I really prefer is being able to gather together afterwards and discuss all we've seen, but my family's delay made this impossible.
I am going to stop reflecting for a moment, and begin here to compile a list of all the places I visited the past couple of weeks. On some I will elaborate, but others I will leave for you to explore on your own.
Paris:
Centre Georges Pompidou
So nice, I visited it twice! And, thanks to the generosity of my parents, I received a book about women artists at the Pompidou for Christmas because I found their exhibits so fascinating.
My little sister admiring the art
Notre Dame de ParisI visited on my own my first full day in Paris, and had the immense pleasure of returning for Christmas Eve. Due to the cold rain outside, however, I ended up wimping out on our plans to attend the midnight mass, and chose instead to return to the hotel, change into pajamas, and settle down for a long winter's nap.
Église Saint-Séverin
Musée du Louvre
I could go on about the breathtaking European paintings, but I have to admit (blasphemy!) I got tired of them after only a couple of hours. So I ended up heading down, on a hunch, to the Arts of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, and I'm glad I did because this quickly became my favorite part of the museum. They have made this exhibit pretty difficult to get to, but that means that it was pretty empty, leaving me all the space I wanted to take in the incredible art.
L'Opéra de la Bastille
Nutcracker on Christmas Day
Les Invalides
Probably the most impressive site I visited...well, that's hard to say, but certainly one of the most impressive sites.
Musée d'Orsay
Sacré-Cœur Basilica
Barcelona:
I had a great time the last time I headed to Barcelona, but I returned home convinced that Madrid is the far superior city. This time however, well I still wouldn't want to live anywhere but Madrid, but Barcelona impressed me even more. I decided to focus on the modernists this trip, and even stayed in a modernist hotel, which was conveniently halfway between the Passeig de Gràcia and the Sagrada Família. After a full day of visiting the various sights along the Passeig, and a little nap back in my hotel, I made my way to Verdi, a art cinema that shows foreign films in their original language. Missing my family, and wanting one last taste of home, I decided to see an American film, Woody Allen's Whatever Works, and I highly recommend it! Afterwards I took the metro back to Eixample, then strolled over to see how the Sagrada Família looks at night, which is, of course, stunning.
La Pedrera
Sagrada Família
Zaragoza:
My 24 hours in Zaragoza were wonderful as well. This city is much smaller than the other cities in which I spent my winter break, but it is no less lovely. My hotel was conveniently located no more than a five minute walk from the four sights I planned on seeing, so I was actually left with extra time at the end of my day. After resting back at the hotel, I wandered back out into the Zaragoza night, only to find that people really take to the streets at night! Alfonso I, the main street that leads straight up to the Basílica, was packed with people of all ages enjoying the surprisingly warm winter evening. I really liked Zaragoza, but by the time I woke up the next morning, I was ready to finally head back to my new home.
Museo del Teatro de Caesaraugusta
Catedrál-Basílica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar
Arriving back home in Madrid today (Dec. 30th) by no means has meant resting from my crazy vacation. I only stopped long enough at my old apartment to give my host mom a gift, gather my belongings, and hail a cab to move everything I own here down to my new apartment. I am successfully all moved in, and even stepped out long enough to go grocery shopping like a real adult, but I am sure I have hardly begun to really get to know my new apartment, my new roommate, and my new neighborhood. Rather than go on about all of the new parts of my life now, I will leave that for another day when I know everything a little bit better.
For now, I will wish you all a ¡feliz año nuevo!
Un beso.
I think your little camera took as good as or better photos than my SLR! Also, I continue to appreciate your honest writing. Uno beso.
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