The Prado, the Plazas, and some Pulpo

What a whirlwind tour. I am currently sitting in my Paris apartment relaxing and reflecting on the past couple days and looking ahead to the days to come. I'll get to Paris later, Madrid first.

Let me also say that I am unable to post pictures on the blog with my iPad, but I'll see if I can make it happen in the next few days.

I got on the first plane on Wednesday afternoon, and I can honestly say that I barely stopped until this moment. I don't even know where to begin because it was such a rush of events and people. What I will say though is that I met such great people. While I had a hard time remembering anyone's name, they were some of the nicest, most fun people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. It was only four days, but we bonded ;)

Back to the beginning, the travel part of the trip went very smoothly including customs. I then met up with some EF people (the company that I am working with for the Peruvian Adventure) and some other teachers like myself. We got all checked in, I met my roommate for the trip, Jenna, and I was in search of a cafe con leche to fight the impending jet lag. While most went to the Starbucks on the corner, I found a Spanish only cafe with a metal counter and small wooden tables. It was exactly what I was looking for. I sat for a while soaking in the moment and reading a few paragraphs of my book.

That moment of quiet relaxation didn't last long though because I had to meet up with the group and start the events of the day. No time for rest. The first order of the day was a lesson on the Madrid metro and some free time for lunch. My new friend Angela and I walked a bit and stumbled on an outdoor cafe and the group leaders. This was excellent because they were ordering tapas, so we jumped right in. Pulpo (octopus), patatas bravas, Spanish empanadas, and much more made up our lunch. There were many risk takers at the table trying all sorts of new food. It was an IB moment!

The walking tour continued and we all continued to get to know each other and learn a bit of history in the process. We walked all over the city to the Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Sol with all of the crazy characters and street performers. We walked up and down tiny alley ways and busy main roads. What I neglected to mention earlier was that there was a huge strike going on. Businesses were closed, the airport was empty except for a skeleton crew. Shops were closed and hundreds of people were walking the streets with signs and chanting. I'm not exactly sure of the details of the whole thing but it mainly had to do with service workers. From what Carmen, out tour director said, sometimes they could get out of hand, so we avoided it as much as we could.

Our next stop was the Prado museum home of epic works of art by famous Spanish painters. It just wasn't the same without Kate as my tour guide for that one. Angela wasn't so into it either, so we went outside to see how the strike was developing. The strikers were supposed to meet in the Plaza del Sol at 6 pm, and it was just about that time, so the streets were filling up. After everyone got their fill of art, the walking tour continued. It felt like hours went by before we got to the restaurant for dinner. By this point we were all getting very tired, but we powered through a dinner of some amazing asparagus with bacon, fish, and ice cream for dessert. Then there was more walking back to the hotel where I crashed (it was not a good sleep though). No time for blogging, no time for jet lag.

On the Road Again

Hello All!
I'm about to be back on the road, or in this case in the air. I'm headed to Madrid today to meet up with teachers from all over the country. It's pretty exciting because we are going to spend four days not only learning about Madrid, but how to lead a tour. Journey and I will we totally ready for our trip to Peru by Sunday. Well, maybe not totally ready, but we will know a whole lot more.

Before I talk about my itinerary, I must comment on the packing miracle that has occurred. I was able to fit over 11 different outfits, a trench coat, and a light jacket among other things in just a carryon bag. It was nothing short of amazing. I just hope I didn't forget anything! Oh well, the shopping is great in Europe so I'm not worried. I wish I had taken a photo of all of the things before it all went to the suitcase.

So my first stop is Miami where I will have a 5 hour layover. Then it's an overnight flight to Madrid. I will be arriving at about 7:30 tomorrow morning. For any of my young followers, what time will it be in Kissimmee when I land in Madrid? I hope I can sleep on the plane because as soon as I get there we are going to hit the ground running. We will be taking a walking tour of Madrid and heading to the Prado, a famous art museum. I'll try to sneak some pictures for 3rd grade while I'm there. And that's only the first half of the day! More details to come when I get a break and when I find an internet connection.

Until next time...

Pristine Portland and Serious Salmon

I am gradually trying to catch up on my blogging, so I am posting in March for a trip that I actually took in November. I know, I know I must get better about this, but sometimes life just gets in the way.

Back in November I took a much needed jaunt to Portland, Oregon to visit one of the coolest people in the world, my friend Amber. We met under unusual circumstances, but that just makes for a fabulous friendship. We met on the CCS volunteer trip to Tanzania, so it was about time one of us trekked across the country to see each other in the "real world." We barely spoke in the year that passed between the life changing trip and the day of my flight, but this is one of those rare situations where it felt like no time passed even though it had been over a year. Friends like that are hard to find.

First stop was to the 30th floor of one of the tallest buildings in downtown Portland called the Portland City Grill. Great wine and stunning city views provided the perfect first stop to my weekend in Portlandia. This was shaping up to be just the weekend I needed.

There are so many things to see and do here, and one of top destinations is Multnomah Falls just outside the city. The falls are absolutely stunning, like something out of a movie complete with a viewing bridge for a photo op.  It is actually one of the places where the show Grimm was filmed. Multnomah Falls Lodge was the perfect spot for a leisurely lunch. While the falls were pretty breathtaking, the thing that got my attention the most was what I saw at the bottom of the falls in the calm part of the river. It was salmon spawning season, and there just happened to be some feisty salmon working their way up stream. I was completely fascinated by these committed creatures, so fish became the new focus of the day.

Just as we got to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery the typical Portland rain reared it's ugly head. The hatchery was an interesting place with an entrance reminiscent of a military base. Hatching fish was apparently serious business. Inside the hatchery, there was all sorts of interesting information about all sorts of fish that inhabit the nearby waters. I was still in search of Salmon, so we descended to the bottom floor to see the infamous fish ladders. This was truly amazing, a hidden gem of the natural world. These salmon, nearing the end of their lives fight the rushing current swimming through the ladders until they reach the place where they were born. If they make it that far, they lay their eggs and die shortly after. What an unfortunate adventure.

My need for fish knowledge was not yet satisfied with the hope of seeing a sturgeon on the horizon. This was not just any sturgeon, oh no, this was Herman the Sturgeon. This larger than life specimen hailed at over 10 feet in length and over 450lbs., and if that wasn't enough, he has been on the planet for over 70 years. This prehistoric beauty did not disappoint, and I was fascinated just standing there staring at him swim by wondering how these seemingly gentle giants have managed to survive so long.

After a long day of fish facts, it was time head to the famous McMenamins. This place was really something. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of this quirky little village (except for myself enjoying one of their local creations), but the best way I can describe it is a cross between the Vermont brewery Magic Hat and an assortment of charming little buildings from the age of traveling snake oil salesmen.  I found out that the McMenamin brothers made it their mission to convert old buildings like schools, lodges, and theaters into "pubs." They are much more than pubs though, they are pieces of history brought to life with a nostalgia of times gone by. There are countless McMenamins gems throughout Washington and Oregon, and I highly recommend that if you are in the area you find one and stay for a while to experience all they have to offer. It was the perfect end to a knowledge filled day.

Once the rain subsided, we headed back home to Amber's house to spend some time with my furry friend Harper in front of the fire. What a sweetheart!

Bewitching Bean Town: My Visit to Boston!

This post is a lot late seeing as how I actually went to Boston at the very end of July. I wasn't sure if I wanted to put any domestic destinations on this blog, but why not? After spending a month celebrating my birthday, I decided to continue the festivities and head to Boston to visit my sister. I had been to this beautiful city many times before, but I was ready to have some key experiences worth writing about. 

 There are a couple of things that absolutely must happen while visiting, and one of them is lobster. My arthropod acquaintance came to me at the new Legal Seafood right on the Boston Harbor. This place was amazing complete with a third floor lounge area with glass walls and fireplaces. Even though we had to wait for a couple hours, the atmosphere was fantastic, and when dinner arrived, it was worth it. Not feeling very confident in my lobster cracking skills, I was assisted by our fearless lobster handler table-side. It was fun to watch an expert lobster cracker at work. The weather was less than ideal that night, so we went back to my sister Jessica's apartment in the North End. For a city apartment, it is pretty amazing.  She has a roof deck overlooking the harbor where I was happy to sit for hours and watch the party boats and the duck tours propel through the water. It was also nice to hear bits and pieces of history as the tour busses drove by. I hadn't realized how touristy this place actually was until this week. I guess it makes sense though because it is a big deal in terms of founding fathers and all. Jess actually lives across the street from one of the oldest cemeteries in the country. Copp's Hill is so old that you can't even read the tombstones anymore. They are just stone blocks leaning out of the ground. This brings me to my close encounter of the spiritual kind. I saw my first ghost. At first I thought is was my sister getting ready for work, but it happened around 3 in the morning and it didn't look like my sister. This ghost was a woman though and she was wearing a colonial type dress. I have no idea who she was or what she wanted, but just just looked at me for a while and then left. It was a pretty uneventful experience, but I'm sure she was a ghost and I saw her. While I doubt that many people will see a ghost tour that happens across the street at dusk, I now can say that I had my own spiritual encounter. 

After a couple of days it was time to get away from summer in the city to head to "The Cape," Cape Cod, Mass. This is where I would be meeting up with many extended family members including my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. When this group gets together it is always a great time. After waiting in the bus station for a ridiculously long time, we were on the road and sitting in some traffic. That is the way the Cape is in the summer though, so you just sit back, relax, and enjoy the fact that you aren't driving. This classic New England summer affair came complete with small cottages on the bay, fresh caught oysters, and a lot of relaxation. 

A rare occasion that most of the family is together. Grandparents, sisters, four cousins, two aunts, two uncles, but mom and dad were missing.

At weekend's end, it was back on the bus, and back to Boston. No visit to this historic city would be complete without a visit to Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. The Sox have a long standing place in my family. I grew up watching games and listening to my father air his frustrations with bad calls and players not working up to their potential. Fenway has history, just like the city. The fans are of the most loyal in the country, and you can feel it as soon as you enter. Even if you don't like baseball, you can't help but get caught up in the Americana that exists within these stadium seats. I was especially enthralled with the playing of the spoons that took place in the bull pen. What a talented bunch of guys! I don't remember who won that night, but it didn't matter, it was a great time on a beautiful night!

My last day was spent wandering aimlessly in the city. It was a cloudy day with rain threatening hour by hour, but it didn't put a damper in the fun. I took a long walk by the water, watching the boats of all kinds, all the way to the Boston Aquarium. I wasn't planning on going in because I had been there many times before when I was younger. I was there to see the sea lion tank. What luck, it was feeding time and they were quite active. Once a sizable crowd had grown, I was off again in search of a nice waterside lunch. I found it at Joe's American Bar and Grill. I got a perfect little table with a stunning view of the harbor and sat and ate a lovely crab cake salad. Yummy! It was the perfect end to a really great week in  Boston. 

The Turkey is Done

I have been back in the US for a full week now, and I have gone through the expected jet lag (although not as bad as it was in Romania). While I'm not back to my normal routines I am back to the reality of living in America. Traveling does many things for a person, and I am no exception. I think every trip and every location holds something special. Each of the three countries I visited this time also held some special connections. Romania, what I thought would be a land of vampires, turned out to be a country rich in a complex and sometimes upsetting history.  Our buddy Vlad is actually considered to be a national hero and bears no resemblance to the mysterious vampire that is Dracula. While disappointed at first, the folk history and the stories of the Ottoman Empire turned out to be much more interesting.

Bulgaria was a bit of a different story for me though. I found it very difficult to make much of a connection with the city of Sofia and my visit to the nearby Rila Monastery. There was no shortage of history, but there seemed to be gaps which can be filled no doubt with stories like that of Romania but no one was willing to talk about it. My connection with Sofia lies with the BCES conference and the lovely people I met. I was even invited to come back again next year. If only it was in a more desirable location.

Finally, Istanbul, a city on two continents was a completely different world from the difficult to navigate countries of Romania and Bulgaria. It was a beautifully overwhelming combination of old and new. I don't know if it was the fact that I was alone or not, but the people were some of the most hospitable I have ever met. Everyone was eager to help and share a bit of history and culture too.

While I will probably not find myself in Romania or Bulgaria again, I'm so happy to have experienced something new and off the beaten path. From my short visit to Istanbul and the fortune in my cup of Turkish coffee, I'm almost positive that I will return. There are so many new things to see and so many new adventures yet to be had. While the next trip is uncertain, I do know that I am going to spend the next couple of weeks with family before I jump back into the world of international education.

Under the Weather and Powering Through

Turkish Flag

Yesterday, July 13th I was sick in bed for most of the day. I had the best intentions to go out and explore the city, but I woke up feeling terrible. I tried to go to breakfast, but I only lasted a few minutes and it was back to bed. I probably had too much fun on my cruise the day before. I rested up for the day knowing that I had one day left.

Today I woke up feeling a little bit better, but not 100% I still had a list of things to do though so I was out pretty early to Hagia Sofia. I spent part of the morning walking barefoot through mausoleums all by myself. I also walked the perimeter of the complex down the stone steps. It was so peaceful in this section where the tour groups don't go. I soon found the main entrance, paid my entrance fee and wandered around the church turned mosque.

After that, it was time for my red bus tour of the city. Since Dolmobache Palace was closed, I decided to just stay on the bus and listen to the tour. I wasn't really feeling up to stopping at all the places. The views from the top of the bus were great, and it was nice to just be able to sit and enjoy the scenery.

When the bus tour was over I wandered back to Hagia Sofia to the entrance of Topkapi Palace. I got to the gates, but I just couldn't bring myself to go in because there were just so many people and huge tour groups. Instead I wandered back behind Sofia again to try to find a place that had been recommended. I found it, Caferaga Medresesi which was down some steps and completely out of the way. It is a series of handicraft shops with a small courtyard cafe in the middle. I stopped there to try to eat something for lunch (cold cucumber and yogurt soup). It was so great to be away from the tours and the noise.

Feeling like I had a bit more energy, I decided to brave the Grand Bazaar. I had to go even if I was really tired and didn't really know where it was. Again, maps don't help me, but I did see a sign near my hotel, so I decided to follow that. That sign led up a hill and to another sign, and another, and down a long street. When I walked in, I knew I couldn't stay long, but I was glad I got to see it. It was a cross between a covered market and a mall. There were all sorts of shops, jewelry, leather goods, souvenirs. I was told that you have to bargain for everything, but I had already scoped out what I was going to buy the other day. I was just there to see what all the fuss was about.

Grand Bazaar 

I finished off the day and my trip with a dinner at the rooftop restaurant at my hotel. The panoramic views were fantastic, and I sat and watched the boats go up and down the Bosphorus. It was a very nice end to to a fabulous trip.

Erin Takes on the Bosphorus

Lovely day for a boat ride!

I am a little bit behind on my posts as usual, so here is my attempt to catch up. A couple days ago I signed up for a tour of the Bosphorus. Now for those who are not as geographically savvy, it is the channel that connects the Marmara Sea and the Black Sea. It also runs between the Europe and Asia sides of Istanbul. Did you know that Istanbul is the only city separated by two continents?

I was picked up at my hotel again, but this time it was a van and not a huge bus. The family that belonged to the South African dad who I met at the travel agency was there too. We made one more stop and drove to the port where our lovely boat was waiting for us. It was awesome, three levels with comfy seats, and I had the second level all to myself (at least for a little while). The cruise started and we went to sites both on the Asia side and Europe side.

Cat keeping away the evil eye.

I'm in Asia!

The first one was called Ortakoy which was a cute little shopping area right under the first bridge. I wandered a bit and watched the cats wander a bit, then it was back on the boat and headed to Asia to the Beylerbeyi Palace. Apparently it was a summer residence for one of the sultans and known for its chandeliers. Soon it was on to the Rumeli Fortress in Europe. We pretty much bounced from side to side alternating Europe and Asia. While this was happening, I met a lovely family from Malaysia who would take my picture for my after I took their picture. We had a very nice agreement. They, like others found it fascinating that I was traveling alone. It was nice to meet families along the way, I was sort of adopted everywhere I went.

New Friends!

By this time, I was starving. Luckily, it was time to go back on to the boat for lunch and a continuation to the Black Sea. Unfortunately, there were new people on the boat now who had joined the 2nd half of the tour, so I lost my spot. I decided to go up to the top floor. That's where I met Mary from Milano Italy and German man (let's call him Claus). They were both traveling alone too and we chatted throughout lunch. Also while eating our Turkish meze and grilled chicken we partook in a German tradition as well. Hooray for Claus!

Meze plate

After lunch, a gorgeous ride, and some lovely Turkish music (although at one point the Godfather theme song came on which made me laugh) we stopped at the mouth of the Black Sea near a beach. Then it was off to the fishing village of Poyrazkoy where we only had 15 minutes to spend there. It was the most productive 15 minutes ever though. I bought a ring and a bracelet and I was able to eat a whole ice cream cone. I was pretty impressed with myself. After a long day on the boat, we were headed back to port of Kabatas and back to the hotel. I only got a touch of sunburn, but it was an absolutely beautiful day. This trip is a must do (thanks Walkabout Travel)!

More sophisticated meze plate

Headless Sea Bass

It had been such a wonderful day I decided to continue that feeling and treat myself to a three course dinner at Cafe Sultania. First it was a meze plate with all sorts of lovely items including dolmas (grape leaves wrapped around filling usually rice or meat) which I don't usually like, but they were sooo good. The next course was a headless sea bass. I had the option to keep the head on. Finally, I ended with a fruit plate. This was entirely too much food for me, but it was all so good I had to just keep eating. No meal is complete here though without the complimentary beverage. I indulged in some Turkish coffee and a little dish of Turkish delight. Absolutely delightful! As I sat there, I could still feel the boat moving. My waiter even came over to me at one point in the night and in a very worried tone asked me if I was ok. I said yes, that I was enjoying everything, and he replied that he was concerned because I was being so quiet. Haha I'm alone, who am I going to talk to? Now that I had sufficiently burned my fingers, lips, and mouth (this lovely cup was metal) it was time to go to bed.

Turkish Coffee