There are no free lunches….

I would never have imagined a year ago that I would be going to Greece, but to Greece I went. It’s funny where life takes you. This flight was my first solo flight in Europe and it turned out to be quite the experience. It all started with this nice old man offering to buy me a cup of coffee, and of course like anyone else would think, I thought, “this vacation is getting off to a fabulous start, going without a hitch.”

Then, I missed my connector flight. And then I had my first, and hopefully my last, public breakdown in Spain. I guess the moral of this story is, when a nice old man offers to buy you’re coffee in the airport, be afraid…be very afraid.

Details? …You want details?

Oh all right…

I made my flight out of Alicante airport and into Madrid airport, but the flight was running 20 minutes late and I only had 40 minutes to get to my next gate. Adding onto this I was in the back of the plane, the extreme back, as in the last row. Concerned that I would miss my connector I turned to the Iberian flight attendant and asked if I would be able to make it. She assured me I would, as long as I ran, once I debarked. She lied. I am still quite upset about that. Turns out that I should have pushed and shoved past all the wonderful people in my plane, but being the trusting person I am I believed I would be fine if I ran once I got off my flight. After I was finally in the airport I ran to my gate, which happened to be the gate right next to the one I got off of. Literally, it was the next gate over, and I could have only missed them closing the doors by about five minutes. I know this because I happened to see someone walking in through the clear glass ramp as I was begging the two people manning the gate to let me through. It was like a scene in those romantic movies when the man is running to catch the woman he loves, but before he reaches his destination, he is held up by someone or something. I must have looked very similar to that hopeless, helpless romantic. At that point, I certainly felt hopeless and helpless.

Those unhappy employees at the gate directed me to Iberia’s customer service. This part is a bit shameful. Instead of channeling my mother, who can cajole the outcome she wants out of most situations, I started sobbing. Especially, when the woman told me I might have to spend the night in Madrid. A red nose, running mascara, and lots of sniffles later I had a free 15-euro lunch, and a plane flight to land in Athens at 11:30p.m. (7 hours later than originally planned).

The one good thing that came out of this situation: I now understand the true meaning of the phrase,  “there are no free lunches.”

Don’t you just love that about getting older? You finally get to understand things you always wish you did when you were younger, just in time to realize, you don’t want to understand.

View of Athens at night:) Don't worry my trip only went up from here...

Toledo...not Ohio silly! (M4...I knew I would make it)

There is, in fact, a Toledo, Spain and you can take a day trip from Madrid to get there. It takes about 1.5 hours, if I remember correctly. I have been behind in my posts meaning two things:

1. I don't remember exact details very well (I have always had bad long term memory...ask my sister:)
2. My posts are out of order

So, please forgive me and know that Toledo belongs with my Madrid posts (i.e. [M4]) and the Granada post was supposed to come before the Carnaval and Valencia posts. However, they were fresh in my memory so I wanted to get them on the web as soon as possible. Hopefully, you are now a little better oriented. Let's take a trip back in time...

Toledo was our last and final day trip outside of Madrid. A little history on Toledo:

Toledo has been held by Iberians, Visigoths, Moors, and Christians. Under the Visigoths and Christians Toledo was the capital of Spain for hundreds of years. Toledo is known for being one of the few places in Spain where Moors, Christians, and Jews managed to live together and tolerate one another peacefully. For this reason there are a multitude of churches, mosques, and synagogues. Walking through the city was akin to taking a step back to a medieval time. The streets are tiny and the history of the city is everywhere around you. Connie and I were lost the minute we stepped foot into the heart of the city. We didn't particularly go to anyplace fascinating because the city was enthralling all by itself. It was another turbulent day so the clouds seem to stew above the town and added to the magical aura that surrounded it. You have to see it to believe it....

Me walking into town...we crossed the bridge and it was like stepping into a new world

Connie and I on the bridge

view of part of town

other side of the town with bridge!

Sadly, since this was our last day in Madrid and we had already been there for around four days my camera died before I made it to the Parador (the large view of the entire city). It was stunning...you'll just have to take my word for it!

Allright! I am all caught up now and you can look forward to my next post which will be about my adventures with my best friend, KRISTEN HORTON, and her family...I am beyond excited!!!!!!!!!

Look out Greece:)

I ain't never met no Paella I didn't like...

Granada was a first for me not just because I had never been there but also because I did it with a large group of people. The granada trip was planned by a group that helps international students travel within Spain. We left Friday at 8:00a.m. with a bus of 50 international students. It takes about four hours to get to Granada and I enjoy listening to my I-pod on bus rides so I settled in for the trip. About an hour later I was really wishing that I had not had coffee that morning because it goes right through me. I thought, "oh well I will just get up and go to the bathroom." Yea..um...guess what? this bus did not have a bathroom. Who rents a bus for four hours without a bathroom???? This group of intelligent people...that is who. Luckily before I literally peed my pants we stopped for a break at a rest stop. All I can say is I was so relieved.

Tip#6: do not drink liquids before bus rides if you do not know if you will have a bathroom...you start contemplating all kinds of things that should never be contemplated...like water bottles and what a girl should never have to do with one ( I will leave the rest to your imagination)

We got to our hostel around noon and the place was wonderful. It felt more like a hotel than any hostel I have ever stayed in. There was a dresser and closet space so I did not have to live out of my backpack for two days...score 1 for Sarah!

Jessica and I in our room

We left the hostel and started meandering around Granada. The city actually reminded me a lot of Flagstaff because there were a lot of hippies. Jessica and I ran into this gelato place at around 3:00p.m. and stopped to try it...

yummy:)

We then headed off to meet everyone to walk up to a viewpoint of the Alhambra. I am not a huge fan of extreme crowds and we were like a giant herd of international students. There were a lot of people because we joined up with a group of students that were studying in Granada...but the view was well worth the crazy horde of people...here are some pics!

I loved the backdrop of the mountains behind the Alhambra

That night Jessica and I went to Tapas to eat. Surprisingly Granada was the first place where I received a free tapa when I ordered a drink. It was nice to just get a drink and not have to think about what to order with it. I enjoy not making decisions and this was the perfect solution.

Jessica and I with drinks and tapas!

That night the group we went with had scheduled us to go to a club and when we were walking past a Chino (chinese store) some fake nails caught my eye...I still don't know why but they called my name and I bought them.

Tip #7: Although they are cheap, and are really fun... buying fake nails is an unnecessary purchase. The reason they are cheap is because they fall off that night, and you can't open anything with them...I know this from experience...heed my knowledge!

Yes they are pretty and can be used as a weapon, but don't be taken in by the beauty... it will not last!

I was still nursing a cold so I didn't last very long at the club and neither did my nails. The next day for breakfast Jessica and I bought some muffins in a grocery store and sat on a park bench to eat breakfast. We then went to the meeting place to begin are tour of the Alhambra. The walk up the hill was intense. If I do not have a great butt after walking up all these hills in Spain I am going to give up because no stair-stepper can compare to these mile long hills.

waterfall on the walk up...

We had a tour guide of the Alhambra and he was wonderful. I felt like I was with a walking, talking book. The Alhambra was everything I wanted it to be. Here comes the history lesson...The Alhambra was a fortress, palace, and a city constructed during the 14th century (Nasrid Dynasty) by Moorish rulers it was later taken over by the catholic monarchs but it was so beautiful they did not change the Islamic building but instead kept it as it was. Here are some photos....

This is a famous photo that has to be taken...you can see the reflection in the water

This was just what some of the walls looked like...I can't imagine the work that must have gone into this.

Amazing!

I don't know that I have ever seen such intricate detail in a building. It was beautiful and the photos don't capture it as well as I would have liked. We were touring the fortress, palace, and surrounding area for around four hours so by the time we were done it was around 6:30ish. We had been handed a flyer the day before about a flamenco show with paella up on the hill across from the Alhambra. Jessica and I were set on going. Best life decision ever!

We walked back up the opposite hill (thats right I want my booty in shape) where the gypsies roam free. I am quite sure we crashed a gypsy party because there were a bunch of hippie looking people in a park, with their dogs, smoking pot. When we walked through everything got just a little quieter. All eyes were on us = awkward. It was a little frightening but I was set on making it to my paella/flamenco show. When we got up to the top it was dark but we managed to find the restaurant that offered the flamenco show and paella for the bargain price of 15 euros!!! It was delicious...I am not exaggerating if I were on death row I might actually have asked for this for my last meal...it was that good! I swear the seafood must have been plucked from the ocean that day, everything was to die for fresh...

Heaven in a pan!

4 girls vs. Paella = we did some serious damage!

I cannot praise that Paella enough. I was in gypsy land, on the top of a hill that overlooks the Alhambra watching flamenco while eating paella....life could not have been better!!!!

That night we went to a club that overlooked the Alhambra, it was the nicest view from a club I have ever seen. I was still a little sick though, and after the massive amounts of paella I had eaten I was ready for bed.

Granada so far holds the record for best paella eaten in Spain...I will let you know if that changes but its going to have to be some darn good paella!!!

signing off xoxoxox Sarah

A fireman's worst nightmare and a little boy's dream come true...

Yesterday...I embarked on a very interesting journey to Valencia. Our bus left at 8:30a.m. from Murcia and we arrived in Valencia at around 12:00p.m. we were not scheduled to leave Valencia until 3:00a.m. (just so this is clear for everyone it ended up being an 22.5 hour trip)!

A little background information is necessary:

Last week I went to Cadíz with this same group and I had a horrible time. Honestly, I felt tortured. We were on the bus for so long and then when we did finally get to Cadíz we were stuck with no way to get back to our hotel until the scheduled departure time. Everything the group had planned was focused on binge drinking, and they were the most horrendous organizers I have met in my entire life. Why...you ask.... did I go on another trip with them? I almost didn't, but mostly I did because it was such a great deal. It was only 18 euros to get to Valencia when normally it is around 40 euros. BUT...this time I had a plan. My wonderful plan was:

1. Find a buddy
2. Once at Valencia ditch the group immediately with my buddy!

You will be happy to hear the plan worked out fabulously and I had one of my best experiences in Valencia:)

The reason there were 6 huge busses (3 from one group and 3 from another) going to Valencia from Murcia was because of the Fallas. The Fallas is one of the three biggest fiestas in Spain and not to be missed if you have any way to get to Valencia in March. The fiesta consists of huge sculptures made, in honor of San Jose (Saint Joseph), out of foam, cardboard, and papier-mache. Each sculpture is sponsored by a group or neighborhood and they cost a ton of money. This year the most expensive Falla cost 600,000 euros and the total cost of the Fallas surpassed 7.4 million euros. The kicker is...they set them on fire during what is called the Crema...lucky me I not only got to run around seeing the Fallas during the day I also then saw them burn late into the night. I know, I know, it is crazy...who burns 7.4 million dollars worth of art...Valencianos...in a fiesta that rivals anything I have ever seen:)

When we arrived in Valencia I literally did exactly what I said. I grabbed my buddy, Jessica, and we booked it. We didn't stop to take a group picture or stay with the group who was lingering around outside the busses like a massive heard of buffalo...nope we left them in our dust! Before we had walked for more than 10 minutes toward the city center we spotted a Falla. It was extremely exciting! The energy in Valencia was at an all time high. The streets were packed and citizens were tossing around fireworks like you toss out the trash. I said citizens on purpose because I can't decide if I saw more little kids throw stuff at me or more grown men. The smallest pyro I saw playing with a firework was a two year old. I am not lying...a two year old! What parent in their right mind lets there kids play with fireworks...pretty much every single Valencian parent. You would think I would have been scared for them, but I was actually more afraid for me. Those little boys were crazy they don't pay attention they just light and toss. I felt as if I was in a war zone..probably because I was...me against the entire male population of Valencia. Adding to the fireworks are the Mascletas. The Mascletas are loud bomb like fireworks they have no color, no beauty there sole purpose (in my opinion) is to make noise and render you deaf. Almost every Falla had mascletas set up with them and they went off from 1:00-2:00p.m. in a racket that would wake the dead. Here was a small set...yup this is small! (p.s. this is my first try at posting a video so if it doesn't work cut me some slack)


Back to the Fallas:) the best way I can explain how I felt was it was like going on an Easter egg hunt. I would see a Falla run towards the beauty of it and then screech in joy as I saw one down another street. They were everywhere and they were amazing! You cannot believe that they burn these works of art when you first see them! Here are some pictures of the awesomeness of the Fallas!

If only I had a bikini I would've looked just like her with blonde hair...right?

This Falla was in the Plaza del ayuntamiento (the main plaza where city hall is located...it was huge!)

I have no idea what this nun is doing but apparently the words beneath this "ninot" mean don't touch the bell:) I guess that means karate chopping it is ok?

froggies...

Jessica and I went from one Falla to the next. We didn't have a map of Valencia we followed the trail of Fallas and were hopelessly lost in no time. I have to say I have never had such a good time without having any idea of where I was. You couldn't help but stumble upon fallas everywhere you went. By the time it reached 5:00p.m. we were both a little tired so we ended up taking a nap in a park for 45 minutes and then we headed back toward the crazy racket in the city center. They had a fire parade at 7:00p.m. where the women who had won based on their traditional dresses walked with their court. There were dancers in the beginning and in the end there were a bunch of people in fire resistant suits spraying fire everywhere. They even had little boys in the parade spraying fire. We would never be able to do something like that in the United States someone would be suing someone else for getting a scratch in five seconds flat. In Spain I feel like nobody cares, in fact, I am pretty sure some people were purposely aiming at others but they think of it as harmless fun and part of the excitement.

Traditional Valencian dress...I wish you could see their hair close up it was so intricate...it must have taken hours.

Yes...this is a little boy shooting fire out of a dragon...these people are crazy!

After the fire parade we went in search for dinner but before we finally found a place we ended up seeing about 6 more Fallas and having to stop for photos. Weirdly, we also ran into some guys walking camels. I don't have any idea what the camels were for but I rarely see camels outside of the zoo so that was a treat. We ate at an  Italian restaurant and it was delicious. I felt like a grown woman because I ordered wine to go with dinner knowing anything else I ordered to drink I would drink too fast and have to keep ordering more. The wine lasted for the two hour dinner we had so it worked well. I had the Tortellini and since we had walked so much it tasted heavenly.

yummmy!

After dinner we ran to find a Falla we wanted to see torched. We ended up going to a big one and it was  crowded so we couldn't get too close. I then had the bright idea to go wait for a smaller one to burn so we could get closer. That was not my smartest plan. We were in the front row for the next Falla and I am ashamed to say I was shrieking like a little girl. I don't even remember saying half the stuff I said but I happened to catch it all on video because I was recording. This is embarrassing but it is the best way to show everyone how crazy Valencia is during the Fallas so do me a favor and don't laugh at me even though you will want to:)





After that experience where my skin was being singed and my backpack was steaming from the heat my adrenaline was up and my heart was pounding. It didn't help that at night the older guys seem to start playing with their fireworks which are louder and larger. The older guys are also more insidious about throwing them. They drop them sneakily so you don't realize that all of a sudden you are about to step on someone's firework and it goes off right next to you. Being me I jump about 10 feet in the air and hightail it in the opposite direction. Which led me to this tip...

Tip #5: Do not show them your fear. It resembles Halloween in that when the characters know they scared you they are relentless. Unless you want the next five guys that saw you shriek to drop their fireworks around you do not run screaming in the opposite direction. Even though you feel as if you are in a burning city that is being bombed and it is your natural fight/flight response... don't give in! If the Valencian two year old can handle the fireworks so can you!

We tried to go see the firework show in the main plaza at 1:00p.m.  but Jessica and I were having so much fun being burnt by the falla and having fireworks thrown at us that we sort of didn't realize that the fireworks had gone off an hour earlier and our bus was about to leave. Since we didn't have a map we ran around asking for directions until we found someone with a map. Luckily we made it back to our bus and I was back in bed by 7:00a.m. this morning. The Fallas were like going to Disneyland on drugs. Everyone is crazy and the city is burning alive. There is nothing like it and I am so happy that I was able to experience this crazy night that comes around once a year in Spain.

El Escorial (M3...finally)

Hello everyone. I am, I admit, a little behind but I am working on rectifying that so we are back to Madrid. El Escorial is a huge monastery about 45 minutes outside of Madrid by train and it happens to be Connie and I's third day trip. It has been both a royal palace and a monastery and is the burial place for most of the Spanish kings and queens of the last five centuries.

The building is imposing to say the least. It is huge and austere. The day we went it was windy; the clouds were ominous and dark and they added to the atmosphere of power and strength that surrounds the building.

Huge granite masterpiece...

View of the top of El Escorial from bottom of the hill

The building consists mainly of gray granite and walking along the rooms filled with art it was a sight to behold. Some famous works are housed in the building by artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, El Greco, Velázquez, etc. I was not expecting all of the artwork so that was fun to see.

The interior of El Escorial is just as austere as the exterior except when you come to the burial place of the kings and queens of Spain. Walking through the regular halls was a stark contrast from the Pantheon of Kings. Here, no expense is spared. It was the most beautiful place of death I had ever seen. It was a shock going from no opulence to gold encased tombs. I wish I had a picture but you are not allowed to take photos in the Pantheon. However, I did snag a postcard so I could take a little piece with me.

Next stop....Toledo!

Shake what yo momma gave ya...

I had the best time tonight and the best part about it was I didn't even realize it was coming. Nieves (spanish surrogate mother), invited me to go to Carnaval in Cabezo de Torres, a pueblo about 10 minutes from where I live.

It was awesome! I cannot even describe the costumes these people had. I am just going to go ahead and say it, this espactaculo left Halloween oozing pumpkin blood, in other words, it destroyed Halloween. The costumes were so artistic. It was everything I had ever imagined when I thought of Carnaval. I spent the three hours of the parade (yes...you heard me...that was THREE HOURS) alternating between smiles and barrel-rolling laughter. I am pretty sure everybody thought I was a little insane because I had the biggest smile on my face. The environment was just full of life and fun. Everyone was dancing, drinking, and listening to great music while a show played out in front of them. Here are some pics of awesomeness that is Carnaval...

I was barrel-rolling with these guys impersonating Lady Gaga...they were hysterically funny!

Yes...Hellboy is indeed smoking a cigarette:)

The Moroccan Man (M2.5)

It is really difficult to fully describe the experience I had couchsurfing. I can tell you that I feel it was one of the best things, if not the best thing, I have done since I came to Spain. I can also tell you I was terrified before we met who we were staying with.

If you ask your every day person off the street the idea sounds absolutely dangerous and insane. That is because it is. When I told my mom I had signed up for couchsurfers she literally almost had a heart-attack. I remember the night I signed up, it was a whim. I would be traveling so long with my best friend Kristen for spring break and didn't want to spend tons of money on lodging. I told my mom what it was and she turned to me and said,"Sarah, you are going to another country. I need to know you are going to be responsible and make smart choices and this does nothing to convince me that you are going to do that. I would rather pay for you to stay in a hotel than stay with some random person you don't know." If you know anything about me you know that 95% of the time I listen to whatever my mom says because she is generally always right (Don't you hate that about moms?). I remember I answered her by saying, "Mom...this is not just about paying for a hostel. This is about the whole experience...about meeting new people and trying new things. How cool would it be to say that I slept on peoples couches all throughout Europe?" She said, "How cool would it be if you were raped and murdered?" Hahaha she did have a point (an overdramatic one) but, I believe I had one too.

I think that the older people get the more cynical they become about the world. How can you not become more cynical? There is more pain and sadness. You see more horrible things. With couchsurfer the core is about people helping other people. Its about opening yourself up to new experiences and new things...broadening your horizons. I wanted and, still want to believe that most people are inherently good. That is why I didn't want my fear or anybody else's to stop me from trying this experience. Without risk there is no reward. In my case the risk payed off.

As I mentioned in M1 (Madrid part one) I thought we would be staying with a girl but, Connie lied to me (for good reason) and, we ended up staying with a Moroccan man. His name was Ali. We finally got back from Segovia at around 9:00p.m. and then took the metro and a bus to his house. His house was about 40 minutes away from downtown Madrid by metro and bus but, only 10 minutes away in his car. We finally got to his house at about 10:00p.m.

Going up to his apartment for the first time was definitely the scariest part. You have all this fear/excitement jumping around in your gut plus a staccato of "rape and death" in your head (thanks to your mom). I mean...we are taught since we are little not to talk to strangers and here I was going to a strangers house to spend the night. I am such a rebel. Thats right...everyone take note...Sarah Bryan is no angel! I like to live on the edge.

All that fear drained away when we met Ali. Ali was 35 years old and from Morocco. Surprisingly, he just had this air about him of calmness and tranquility. When you are around him you can't help but be relaxed. His house (apartment) was beautifully decorated. He was very artsy and had some of the most relaxing music I have ever heard. I am of the opinion that all of his furniture was so comfortable since he was from Morocco and apparently natives of Morocco are experts on comfy furniture. He had little poufs and such a great sofa/bed and chair. He also had masks for decorations! Let me just say it was a big step up from a hostel and I automatically felt at home in his house.

About five minutes after we walked in he said he was going to go out and meet some friends and asked if we wanted to come. Of course we both automatically agreed. After a quick shower we were on our way to downtown Madrid in his beautiful car.

*Side note...I miss my car. After taking all these planes, trains, buses, and metros it was so nice to be in a car listening to good music! When I get home I am going to plaster kisses all over my baby and apologize for taking her for granted.

We parked and then Ali took us to Plaza del Sol where they have the bear and Madroño tree statue (symbol of Madrid) and ground zero. All distances are measured from this point in Spain. It was one of the things on my "to see list" and I was so happy to be taken to it with a Madrileno!

"El oso y el Madroño"
*the statue weighs almost 20 tons

Left to right: Ali's foot, my foot, and Connie's foot
*All distances in Spain are measured from this point!

After doing the tourist thing we walked to a bar that Connie and I never could have found on our own. The bar was called, "Costello". We had to walk down Calle Montero to get to the bar and crazily enough the family I am staying with had warned me about this street. Why you ask? Well, it was because Calle Montero is the street where single men go to pick up prostitutes. Of course, after they told me I shouldn't go...shhh...don't tell... I secretly wanted to go. I was so happy that by chance I ended up walking down that exact street. There were quite a few hookers but, the police station is on this street so I felt safe. It was interesting to see that prostitution does exist outside my protected little world.

We stayed in Costello for about two hours drinking and listening to the music just getting to know each other. My dad would like the music at this bar and I can't wait to take him when he comes to Madrid. The nice thing about being with Ali was that we got to try out a bar that was all locals and, I felt like I experienced a side of Madrid that I never would have seen as a tourist. Being with Ali made me feel like I was living in Madrid, not just visiting to snap a few photos.

We left the bar and went to a discoteca (dance club) called El Sol. Normally there was a 9 euro cover but because the bouncers knew Ali all of us got in free. Just another perk of couchsurfing:) The music here was also great. They didn't really play pop music but instead music from different time periods. The most interesting thing about this discoteca was that there were people of all ages. I had never seen anything like it. There were 20 year olds, 30 year olds, 40 year olds, and 50 year olds all coming together and having a great time. We danced for hours and didn't leave the place until around 5:30a.m. Again, I felt like a real madrileño...I partied all night and into the morning.

Connie, Ali, and I in the crazy club lights...

When we got back to the house Connie passed out and Ali and I talked for another hour while he showed me pictures of his house in Morocco. I finally made it to bed at around 7:00a.m. (yup...I take my dancing/party time seriously). Connie and I still managed to wake up the next day at 10:00a.m. (at least I managed to wake up and then bug Connie until she got out of bed). I only had three hours of sleep but I didn't want to miss anything....next up El Escorial!

I had such an amazing time and it had only been a night/morning of couchsurfing. There is, of course, more to come on this subject...