So. It's been about a month and a half since I got back to the States. After leaving Spain, I met my family in Italy, and then we went on to Ireland. It was such an amazing experience for us and did everybody a lot of good. But then it was back to the good ole U.S. My emotions were all over the place-- I was excited because I was about to see all of the people I hadn't been able to see for 5 months, but at the same time, I was upset because it was all over. This semester, this incredible experience, that I had been planning for over a year was over. The 8-hr plane ride from London to Chicago was not fun. There was a screen that tracked our progress over the Atlantic, and while watching it, I was anxious and sad at the same time. When I finally landed in Chicago, all the comforts of home were there-- people speaking American English, Manchu Wok in the terminal, paper towels in the bathrooms, being able to text and talk to my U.S. friends without the consequence of an insane bill...
The next day was so much fun, catching up with friends. It was exactly as though I had never left, like it hadn't really been 5 months since I'd seen them. (Of course, at the same time, there were subtle differences that reminded me that that wasn't the case.)
Over the next few weeks, I tried to settle back in. I started back to work, I began attending meetings, and I tried to wrap my head around the fact that graduation now seemed sooooo much closer than it had before I left. It took over a week for me to get over the jet-lag. But as I was getting back into the swing of things, I started to feel the effects of reverse culture shock. I didn't expect it to be as bad as it actually was (or, if I'm being truthful, still is). I miss Spain and my friends and family from there. Before I left, I was still on the fence as to whether I had made the absolute best choice in picking Spain. Now, though, I am convinced without a doubt that Sevilla Spring 2009 was the perfect choice for me. I was able to learn and experience so many things. I am so grateful for that. When I was younger, one of my really high life goals (that I wasn't really sure I'd ever attain) was to live in and travel around Europe. Well, I'm 21 years old, and I've reached that goal. Of course, I still want to go back and hit the places I didn't get to go, but I know that I've done more in my 21 years than most people do in a lifetime, and there aren't words to express how thankful I am for that.
During my last few weeks in Europe, I started thinking about all the things I'd learned. One of the things that I finally realized is how much I actually love being an American. Now, don't get me wrong: Let's not forget that I was the girl voted "Most Patriotic" in 8th grade Who's Who. I've always loved this country. But when I left for Europe, I (and all of my friends) had the mentality that we were going to go to all these different countries and try to learn their ways and try to integrate into their cultures. And of course that's the correct mentality to have when you move to another country-- you don't want to go and alienate yourself because you refuse to accept someone else's way of looking at things. But the more I traveled, the more I became aware of how proud I am to be American. I didn't want to try to blend in and not be recognized as American anymore. Of course, I was still tactful. I didn't run down the street, yelling at the top of my lungs. I didn't stagger home drunk. In other words, I wasn't obnoxious. I was myself. My American self. And there's nothing wrong with that. In fact, most Europeans I met along the way asked questions about the U.S.; they were just as eager to learn about how we did things as I was to learn about their ways of doing things.
Before I left, everybody kept saying, "Oh my goodness, you're going to have such a great time! It's going to be the best experience of your life! You're going to change in ways that you can't anticipate!" I just always smiled and nodded politely when this was said, wondering exactly what they meant and hoping that they were right. Well, now that it's over, I had such a great time, it was the best experience of my life, and I've changed in ways that I never anticipated, ways that I don't even really understand. I'll never forget it.
MacKenzie: My camel buddy. Ha! Dexter Sebastian Marcus Ali-- what a name. I hope you always have weeds in your beer and that people continue to ask you incredibly inappropriate questions regarding... well, you know.
Lauren: Hey pal. Prague princess. Prague was a blast, as were our last nights in Sevilla. I will never look at an American flag the same way. Thanks for setting that up...
Joelle: Tuvimos elau! Vale. You were always up for anything, which I learned our second day in Madrid when we were in the park and you ran and got on top of the statue-less pillar to complete the line. I always admired you for your spontaneity.
Laura: Stockholm was one of my very favorite trips, and I know that that was because you were my travel buddy. I will never forget our forays into the random streets, nor the "I don't know, who stands by a bike?"
Nabilah: I could not have asked for a better roommate. And even though Alejandra drove us crazy on a regular basis, I will never forget her adorable little face after she "painted" it.
Ariel: You were with me from the very beginning (even though we didn't know it at the time!). From the first flight from Miami to the last goodbye in el centro.
Jenn: As with Ariel, you were there from the beginning-- remember me pulling my luggage through my legs when I got off the escalator in Madrid? hehe...
Eric: Thank you for reassuring me that there is indeed a moon in Portugal.
Alison: I'm so sorry you were sick for most of the Munich trip, but thank you so much for telling me about the trip and getting me to go with you guys. It was one of my favorites.
Tori: Barcelona wouldn't have been the same without you. One of my favorite memories from the entire semester was playing in the Mediterranean with you that afternoon.
Sean: I will forever like beer and football haha. Sorry we couldn't get things to work out between us ;)
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Last Days
That's sounds so foreboding or something. The Last Days. The End. It also sounds so sad. (Sorry Laura, I know you hate that word.)
When we came to Spain in January, my group Winter 4 arrived with another group, the Winter 2s. We spent so much time together that first week that we all just hit it off and became really good friends, even though we ended up going to different universities. For some reason, though, the Winter 2 group was scheduled to leave a week earlier than we were. So, MacKenzie, being the wonderful planner that she is, decided to have a Picnic in the Park as a kind of last hoorah. We had our señoras make us bocadillos (I don't think I'll ever use the word 'sandwich' ever again), we brought drinks and snacks, and we spent the afternoon lounging the in shade in our favorite park, Maria Luisa. It was bittersweet, though, because the Winter 2s gradually got up and left, walking away from us for the very last time.
The next week was finals for us, but did that stop us from enjoying our last weekend in Sevilla? Absolutely not. ;) I even went to a bullfight. My house-mom's ex-husband got tickets for Nabilah and me, which was really nice of him. It was definitely an experience, one I'm glad I didn't miss. I mean, it wasn't something I can say I'm a fan of, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, either. It was another of those times when I really felt like I was in Spain.
So the next week, we did the finals thing. Whatev. It was nice that school was finally over, but we also knew that it meant that our time in Sevilla was over as well. On Thursday afternoon, we all met up for one last goodbye. Even though everyone else was leaving on Friday night on the overnight bus to Madrid, my friend Joelle and I were leaving late Thursday night and early Friday morning, respectively, so Thursday afternoon was our last time with everyone. The whole time I was there, I kept looking around thinking, "This is it. Everyone else is busy planning for tonight, but for me, this is it. I can't believe it's over." One by one, everyone left, and we had to say our goodbyes. There were tons of people around, staring with confused looks. They seemed to be thinking, "Why are all these American 20-somethings hugging and crying in the middle of Sevilla?" I never did cry that afternoon, though. It wasn't because I didn't want to. Anyone that knows me knows that I can't just cry; I have to wait on it to hit me. I knew that it would later. So for all of you who wondered why I couldn't shed a tear, that's why. ;) It isn't because I don't miss you. We've been apart for less than a week, and I already can't imagine not going back to Sevilla and seeing you guys sometime soon...
After that, I had to rush home because I forgot that Mari, our house-mom, was going to teach Nabilah and me to cook tortilla de patata! I biked from Plaza Nueva to my house in record time: 20 minutes! (It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour if I take the bus...) It was a good last night with the family, but again, all I could think about was the fact that it was all about to be over. My house-sister Pacita and her husband Luis let Nabilah and me put our "niece" Alejandra to bed that night since it was a special night. They tried to explain to her that I was going home and that I wouldn't be coming back to stay with them anymore, but she's only 3; she just didn't understand. She always liked to talk to us about colors when we put her to bed-- she knows them in Spanish and in English. :) But then Luis came in to get her to go to sleep (she likes to just talk to us), and when we walked out of the room, I just lost it. She really has become part of my family, just as Pacita, Luis, Mari, the new baby Graciela, Chema, Javi, and the rest of the clan have. When Pacita went to bed that night, we hugged and cried, too. And the next morning, up bright and early to catch my flight, all I could do was hug Mari and cry; there just weren't words. It's hard to explain this situation to someone who hasn't experienced it. The only thing I can think of to say is that over the past semester, we (as in study abroad students) all created a new... well, life. We started at a new university, we made new friends, we became part of a new family, and we became citizens of a new city. That doesn't mean we forgot about the "other" life back home in the States, we just did what everyone does when they move to a new place: we started over in that new place. And unlike with our life in the States, when we said goodbye to our friends and family and to Sevilla, we weren't sure when or if we would see them again, especially see all of them together.
On Friday morning, Chema (whose role is a little difficult to explain haha), drove me to the airport. Along the way, we made small talk. (What do you say? "Nice knowing you, have a nice life"?) He put in a CD and started telling me that he'd gotten it in a place in Greece. It isn't in Greek, he just got it there. It was really good, and I told him I liked it. When we got to the airport, he took it out and handed it to me. "When you play it in the States, you can think of us," he said. "I have another one, just take it." I didn't know what to say. That's the kind of family I lived with. The kinds of friends I made. And as I sat on the runway waiting to take off, the only things I could see of Sevilla were the interstate signs that said "Sevilla, this way." And knowing that that would be the last time I would see those signs for a very long time, I started crying as the plane took off.
When we came to Spain in January, my group Winter 4 arrived with another group, the Winter 2s. We spent so much time together that first week that we all just hit it off and became really good friends, even though we ended up going to different universities. For some reason, though, the Winter 2 group was scheduled to leave a week earlier than we were. So, MacKenzie, being the wonderful planner that she is, decided to have a Picnic in the Park as a kind of last hoorah. We had our señoras make us bocadillos (I don't think I'll ever use the word 'sandwich' ever again), we brought drinks and snacks, and we spent the afternoon lounging the in shade in our favorite park, Maria Luisa. It was bittersweet, though, because the Winter 2s gradually got up and left, walking away from us for the very last time.
The next week was finals for us, but did that stop us from enjoying our last weekend in Sevilla? Absolutely not. ;) I even went to a bullfight. My house-mom's ex-husband got tickets for Nabilah and me, which was really nice of him. It was definitely an experience, one I'm glad I didn't miss. I mean, it wasn't something I can say I'm a fan of, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, either. It was another of those times when I really felt like I was in Spain.
So the next week, we did the finals thing. Whatev. It was nice that school was finally over, but we also knew that it meant that our time in Sevilla was over as well. On Thursday afternoon, we all met up for one last goodbye. Even though everyone else was leaving on Friday night on the overnight bus to Madrid, my friend Joelle and I were leaving late Thursday night and early Friday morning, respectively, so Thursday afternoon was our last time with everyone. The whole time I was there, I kept looking around thinking, "This is it. Everyone else is busy planning for tonight, but for me, this is it. I can't believe it's over." One by one, everyone left, and we had to say our goodbyes. There were tons of people around, staring with confused looks. They seemed to be thinking, "Why are all these American 20-somethings hugging and crying in the middle of Sevilla?" I never did cry that afternoon, though. It wasn't because I didn't want to. Anyone that knows me knows that I can't just cry; I have to wait on it to hit me. I knew that it would later. So for all of you who wondered why I couldn't shed a tear, that's why. ;) It isn't because I don't miss you. We've been apart for less than a week, and I already can't imagine not going back to Sevilla and seeing you guys sometime soon...
After that, I had to rush home because I forgot that Mari, our house-mom, was going to teach Nabilah and me to cook tortilla de patata! I biked from Plaza Nueva to my house in record time: 20 minutes! (It usually takes 45 minutes to an hour if I take the bus...) It was a good last night with the family, but again, all I could think about was the fact that it was all about to be over. My house-sister Pacita and her husband Luis let Nabilah and me put our "niece" Alejandra to bed that night since it was a special night. They tried to explain to her that I was going home and that I wouldn't be coming back to stay with them anymore, but she's only 3; she just didn't understand. She always liked to talk to us about colors when we put her to bed-- she knows them in Spanish and in English. :) But then Luis came in to get her to go to sleep (she likes to just talk to us), and when we walked out of the room, I just lost it. She really has become part of my family, just as Pacita, Luis, Mari, the new baby Graciela, Chema, Javi, and the rest of the clan have. When Pacita went to bed that night, we hugged and cried, too. And the next morning, up bright and early to catch my flight, all I could do was hug Mari and cry; there just weren't words. It's hard to explain this situation to someone who hasn't experienced it. The only thing I can think of to say is that over the past semester, we (as in study abroad students) all created a new... well, life. We started at a new university, we made new friends, we became part of a new family, and we became citizens of a new city. That doesn't mean we forgot about the "other" life back home in the States, we just did what everyone does when they move to a new place: we started over in that new place. And unlike with our life in the States, when we said goodbye to our friends and family and to Sevilla, we weren't sure when or if we would see them again, especially see all of them together.
On Friday morning, Chema (whose role is a little difficult to explain haha), drove me to the airport. Along the way, we made small talk. (What do you say? "Nice knowing you, have a nice life"?) He put in a CD and started telling me that he'd gotten it in a place in Greece. It isn't in Greek, he just got it there. It was really good, and I told him I liked it. When we got to the airport, he took it out and handed it to me. "When you play it in the States, you can think of us," he said. "I have another one, just take it." I didn't know what to say. That's the kind of family I lived with. The kinds of friends I made. And as I sat on the runway waiting to take off, the only things I could see of Sevilla were the interstate signs that said "Sevilla, this way." And knowing that that would be the last time I would see those signs for a very long time, I started crying as the plane took off.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
¡PRAGUE!
I don't even know where to start with Prague. We laughed, we cried, we sang...
We got there on Friday afternoon and decided to explore the area around our hostel a little bit. We came across this really nice park and just sat, all thinking about how we were finally there. We'd all looked forward to this trip all semester. But we were all pretty hungry, so we went into the older part of town, near Old Town Square, to find a sushi place. Sushi! Yes I know, we were in Prague and got sushi, but I've craved it all semester. My friend Joelle and I decided to split a platter, and we figured we got to choose what we wanted. Well, a little while later, our waitress comes back and says, "Do you realize you ordered like, 100 pieces of sushi?" We were like, what?! We explained we wanted the platter, and she said, "Oh, that's chef's choice. I just figured you were really hungry." So we almost had to eat 100 pieces of sushi... :)
We got there on Friday afternoon and decided to explore the area around our hostel a little bit. We came across this really nice park and just sat, all thinking about how we were finally there. We'd all looked forward to this trip all semester. But we were all pretty hungry, so we went into the older part of town, near Old Town Square, to find a sushi place. Sushi! Yes I know, we were in Prague and got sushi, but I've craved it all semester. My friend Joelle and I decided to split a platter, and we figured we got to choose what we wanted. Well, a little while later, our waitress comes back and says, "Do you realize you ordered like, 100 pieces of sushi?" We were like, what?! We explained we wanted the platter, and she said, "Oh, that's chef's choice. I just figured you were really hungry." So we almost had to eat 100 pieces of sushi... :)
The next day, we started the whirlwind that is sightseeing. :) First, we went back through Old Town Sqaure on the way to Bohemian Bagel, more affectionately named BoBagel. It was our favorite place to eat in Prague-- we went 3 times. :) Then, we made our way over the Lesser Side, which is where the Prague Castle is. There's also a cathedral, royal gardens, and a street called Golden Lane around the castle. The views from the castle were amazing. :)
We left the Prague Castle and headed back down toward the river to see the Charles Bridge. We stopped along the bank for a few minutes and watched a little boy play with a swan and some ducks. He was too cute! Then we headed up to cross the Charles Bridge. Unfortunately, it's become such a touristy place that there are a ton of vendors on it. It was cool to see the artwork, but it took away from the bridge itself-- there are some really pretty sculptures along it.
On Sunday, we visited the Jewish Quarter, the famous Astronomical Clock, and the John Lennon Wall. We went in one synagogue that had the names of 80,000 Jewish Czechs written on the walls, honoring them as victims of the Holocaust. We also went into an old Jewish cemetery. As I was walking through the cemetery and thinking about WWII and other things, something occured to me. I was in Europe. Where they fought WWII. I have been to places that were devastated because of the war. In the U.S., I feel like a lot of people (myself included) often look at WWII as something that happened in Europe, that even though we were involved, it still happened "over there." And I realized that I was "over there." It's hard to describe the feeling I had-- it's just one of those things that you have to experience for yourself.
We were planning to go to a concentration camp on Monday morning, but the only bus that went would've have gotten us there late, and we wouldn't have had time to get back in time to go to the airport. So instead we just kind of wandered around Old Town, seeing random places we hadn't had time to see before. It was rainy and gross, but hey-- how often are you in Prague?
Feria de Abril and Mallorca
Sevilla is known the world over for its celebration of two famous festivals, Semana Santa and Feria de Abril. Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is the week leading up to Easter. Brotherhoods from different churches around Sevilla create "pasos," or large floats, that they parade through the streets. It is a very religious and sombering week. Feria de Abril, however, is a week-long party. Sevillanos spend crazy amounts of money during this week-- there are rides to take their kids on, each ride costing about 3 euros; there are Feria dresses to buy, which start at about 200 euros for the worst ones; and there are special Feria foods and drinks to buy during the entire week, just to name a few. I wasn't too excited about it, to be honest. I'm not really sure why. But mi amiga MacKenzie talked me into going a couple of times, and it's actually really fun (although it's admittedly more fun if one is a Sevillano). We went once during the day and once at night, and the atmosphere is really different. All-in-all, Feria was definitely something worth witnessing-- there really aren't words to accurately explain it.
As fun as Feria is, a few friends and I decided that we wanted to get away from Sevilla for a few days at the end of Feria because that is when all the tourists come in and the Sevillanos leave. So being Sevillanos :), it made sense. We started looking at flights and stuff and came across a really cheap flight to the island of Mallorca. It's part of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Sounded like a perfect, relaxing beach trip, so we booked it! And relaxing it was! We literally laid on the beach all day. The weather was perfect, and even though the water was a little cold, we waded out anyway. We had such a good time just lounging around-- no having to get up early to start a day filled with sightseeing, no classes, no responsibilities... It was a perfect weekend that came just in time. :)
As fun as Feria is, a few friends and I decided that we wanted to get away from Sevilla for a few days at the end of Feria because that is when all the tourists come in and the Sevillanos leave. So being Sevillanos :), it made sense. We started looking at flights and stuff and came across a really cheap flight to the island of Mallorca. It's part of the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea. Sounded like a perfect, relaxing beach trip, so we booked it! And relaxing it was! We literally laid on the beach all day. The weather was perfect, and even though the water was a little cold, we waded out anyway. We had such a good time just lounging around-- no having to get up early to start a day filled with sightseeing, no classes, no responsibilities... It was a perfect weekend that came just in time. :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
¡Munich, Germany!
I wasn't really sure what to expect from Munich. I didn't know much about the city, but I knew I was interested in exploring a German city. And I'm so glad it turned out to be Munich. It's located in Bavaria, which is in southern Germany, on the Austrian border. At first, I couldn't determine how I felt about it. Many of the buildings were modern, and it seemed to be just like any ole city. But as we explored, the more I realized that wasn't the case.
The first day we were there, we were pretty tired from traveling (as always), so we went to lunch, took a nap at the hostel, and then went out for dinner. It was fun-- we went to a traditional beer hall, and there was a group of men in lederhosen (or traditional leather shorts and suspenders)! They were singing and talking and enjoying each other company. The tables are designed to encourage people to talk-- they are long, and people from different parties sit with each other. (Think a Japanese grill minus the grill.) It had a great atmosphere, and it was a great way to start our time in Munich.
We really had no specific plans for the next day. There were a couple of things that we had read about and that we wanted to check out, but we just decided to walk around the city and see what we found. We climbed a tower for views of the city and the Alps (which is an activity I've found to be popular in many cities). Once again, it was worth the hike.
Afterward, we headed to the Englischer Garten, which is supposed to be bigger than Central Park in New York. It was a beautiful day, so there were a ton of people there. They were picnicking, sunbathing, relaxing, playing frisbee... We found this beer garden and decided to eat lunch there. It was packed, but it was so relaxing. We spent a good while there. Then we moved to a spot on the grass by a stream. It was great just to lie under the trees and let the sun shine down on us. :)
The next day, my friend Alison and I were supposed to go the real Cinderella castle. That's right, the one that Disney modeled the one in DisneyWorld after. But unfortunately, it didn't work out, so we went to an art museum that housed several Rubens. :D The rest of the day was spent wandering again. Enjoying the city, the people, the food. :) So in the end, we didn't sightsee very much, but we did see (and learn) a lot. ;)
The first day we were there, we were pretty tired from traveling (as always), so we went to lunch, took a nap at the hostel, and then went out for dinner. It was fun-- we went to a traditional beer hall, and there was a group of men in lederhosen (or traditional leather shorts and suspenders)! They were singing and talking and enjoying each other company. The tables are designed to encourage people to talk-- they are long, and people from different parties sit with each other. (Think a Japanese grill minus the grill.) It had a great atmosphere, and it was a great way to start our time in Munich.
We really had no specific plans for the next day. There were a couple of things that we had read about and that we wanted to check out, but we just decided to walk around the city and see what we found. We climbed a tower for views of the city and the Alps (which is an activity I've found to be popular in many cities). Once again, it was worth the hike.
Afterward, we headed to the Englischer Garten, which is supposed to be bigger than Central Park in New York. It was a beautiful day, so there were a ton of people there. They were picnicking, sunbathing, relaxing, playing frisbee... We found this beer garden and decided to eat lunch there. It was packed, but it was so relaxing. We spent a good while there. Then we moved to a spot on the grass by a stream. It was great just to lie under the trees and let the sun shine down on us. :)
The next day, my friend Alison and I were supposed to go the real Cinderella castle. That's right, the one that Disney modeled the one in DisneyWorld after. But unfortunately, it didn't work out, so we went to an art museum that housed several Rubens. :D The rest of the day was spent wandering again. Enjoying the city, the people, the food. :) So in the end, we didn't sightsee very much, but we did see (and learn) a lot. ;)
¡Stockholm!
That's right. Sweden! I'm not sure when I first decided that I wanted to go to Scandinavia, but for some reason, it rose to the top of my list of places to visit. When I told Laura this, she got really excited because her family is Swedish. She said, "Let's go to Sweden!" So we booked the tickets at the end of February and anxiously awaited April 17th.
By the time we got into the city, it was already late afternoon, and we were exhausted. So instead of trying to jump right in to the sightseeing we had planned, we decided to get a feel of the city and just walked around trying to get oriented. We were also starving. So we found this fast-food place called Sandy's. And what did we order at Sandy's? A reindeer sandwich. That's right, it was like a "reindeer salad sandwich." Dude, it was so good. Definitely recommend Sandy's and the reindeer sandwich if you ever make it to Stockholm. ;) Then we walked around a little bit more before heading to the Nordic Sea Hotel. And why did we go there? Because we had reservations at the Absolut Ice Bar! It was pretty cool. Literally. They keep the temperature at a constant -5 degrees Celsius, which is about 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Everything-- the walls, the bar, the tables, the glasses-- are made of ice. They give you a cape and gloves when you go in. I was really excited about this because Samantha Brown (from Passport to Europe, Latin America, Great Weekends, etc.) went when she was in Stockholm! (I love Samantha Brown. hehe) It was a lot of fun, but it was so cold, so we only stayed for about 45 minutes. It's sad when you have to go outside in Stockholm to get warm. ;)
But it had been a long day, so we grabbed a quick dinner and then went back to the hostel and turned in early (after meeting our roommates-- 3 New Zealand girls working in London).
The next day, we woke up refreshed and ready to go. We started our day at the Swedish History Museum. It was actually pretty cool-- we learned about the prehistoric people of Sweden, the Vikings, and a lot of other neat stuff. Neither of us really knew anything about Swedish history, so it was definitely interesting.
Afterwards, we went over to Gamla Stan, or Old Town. Stockholm is built across several islands, and Gamla Stan is a little island all its own. We had fun here just wandering the streets. The alleys were gorgeous, the shops were cute, and the people were fun. We stopped at a little cafe called Old Street Cafe and had a snack. It was very quaint, and when we passed again the next day, the lady who owned it remembered us and waved. :) We spent the rest of the afternoon there, exploring the nooks and crannies and taking in the views of the other islands.
On Sunday, we got up and walked over to the Modern Art Museum on yet another island. :) Laura and I both love art, so we had a good time. There were Picassos, Warhols, Matisses, Pollocks, Giacomettis, Munchs, Mirós... the list goes on. It was awesome! Afterwards, we hurried over to City Hall to climb its tower-- we'd heard the views from there were great. And of course, they were! The wind was blowing a lot, so we just took our pictures, looked around, and headed down.
After City Hall, we headed back over to Gamla Stan, which definitely turned out to be my favorite part of Stockholm. We visited some stores and walked around a little while longer. Then we went over to another island that I had read about. It was supposed to have cute shops and parks and stuff, but it was late on a Sunday, so nothing was really open. It was really residential, but we really enjoyed this area as well. There was definitely a different vibe here then in the other parts of the city, and it was nice to be able to experience both. When I visit a new place, I like to go see the museums, the towers, the history, etc., but I also like to get to know the city and its people, what they do on a daily basis. One thing Laura and I did was walk through a small shopping center. We went in one store that had several different sections-- furniture, clothing, groceries-- and wandered around looking at the styles that Swedes like and the things they buy. The simplest things often teach you the most.
That night we ate at a really good restaurant (see me with the statue below hehe) and decided to buy ice cream for dessert and take it back to the hostel and chill. (That's one bad thing about living with host families-- you can't just have friends over for movie night or whatever.) But anyway, we spent our last morning at the Swedish Customs Museum, which actually turned out to be really cool. It's in a gorgeous building, and because I didn't know a lot about the culture, I learned a lot. But then it was time to head to the airport. Laura and I really didn't want to leave! We had only been there a few days, but we quickly fell in love with the city of Stockholm, Sweden.
By the time we got into the city, it was already late afternoon, and we were exhausted. So instead of trying to jump right in to the sightseeing we had planned, we decided to get a feel of the city and just walked around trying to get oriented. We were also starving. So we found this fast-food place called Sandy's. And what did we order at Sandy's? A reindeer sandwich. That's right, it was like a "reindeer salad sandwich." Dude, it was so good. Definitely recommend Sandy's and the reindeer sandwich if you ever make it to Stockholm. ;) Then we walked around a little bit more before heading to the Nordic Sea Hotel. And why did we go there? Because we had reservations at the Absolut Ice Bar! It was pretty cool. Literally. They keep the temperature at a constant -5 degrees Celsius, which is about 23 degrees Fahrenheit. Everything-- the walls, the bar, the tables, the glasses-- are made of ice. They give you a cape and gloves when you go in. I was really excited about this because Samantha Brown (from Passport to Europe, Latin America, Great Weekends, etc.) went when she was in Stockholm! (I love Samantha Brown. hehe) It was a lot of fun, but it was so cold, so we only stayed for about 45 minutes. It's sad when you have to go outside in Stockholm to get warm. ;)
But it had been a long day, so we grabbed a quick dinner and then went back to the hostel and turned in early (after meeting our roommates-- 3 New Zealand girls working in London).
The next day, we woke up refreshed and ready to go. We started our day at the Swedish History Museum. It was actually pretty cool-- we learned about the prehistoric people of Sweden, the Vikings, and a lot of other neat stuff. Neither of us really knew anything about Swedish history, so it was definitely interesting.
Afterwards, we went over to Gamla Stan, or Old Town. Stockholm is built across several islands, and Gamla Stan is a little island all its own. We had fun here just wandering the streets. The alleys were gorgeous, the shops were cute, and the people were fun. We stopped at a little cafe called Old Street Cafe and had a snack. It was very quaint, and when we passed again the next day, the lady who owned it remembered us and waved. :) We spent the rest of the afternoon there, exploring the nooks and crannies and taking in the views of the other islands.
On Sunday, we got up and walked over to the Modern Art Museum on yet another island. :) Laura and I both love art, so we had a good time. There were Picassos, Warhols, Matisses, Pollocks, Giacomettis, Munchs, Mirós... the list goes on. It was awesome! Afterwards, we hurried over to City Hall to climb its tower-- we'd heard the views from there were great. And of course, they were! The wind was blowing a lot, so we just took our pictures, looked around, and headed down.
After City Hall, we headed back over to Gamla Stan, which definitely turned out to be my favorite part of Stockholm. We visited some stores and walked around a little while longer. Then we went over to another island that I had read about. It was supposed to have cute shops and parks and stuff, but it was late on a Sunday, so nothing was really open. It was really residential, but we really enjoyed this area as well. There was definitely a different vibe here then in the other parts of the city, and it was nice to be able to experience both. When I visit a new place, I like to go see the museums, the towers, the history, etc., but I also like to get to know the city and its people, what they do on a daily basis. One thing Laura and I did was walk through a small shopping center. We went in one store that had several different sections-- furniture, clothing, groceries-- and wandered around looking at the styles that Swedes like and the things they buy. The simplest things often teach you the most.
That night we ate at a really good restaurant (see me with the statue below hehe) and decided to buy ice cream for dessert and take it back to the hostel and chill. (That's one bad thing about living with host families-- you can't just have friends over for movie night or whatever.) But anyway, we spent our last morning at the Swedish Customs Museum, which actually turned out to be really cool. It's in a gorgeous building, and because I didn't know a lot about the culture, I learned a lot. But then it was time to head to the airport. Laura and I really didn't want to leave! We had only been there a few days, but we quickly fell in love with the city of Stockholm, Sweden.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)