Oo La Lola

My girlfriends and I decided to splurge a little on a fancy girls dinner the other night, so when we were searching for the right place, La Lola with an entryway of rose petals naturally seemed the most appropriate. Two men played beautiful, live Flamenco music while we ate our 4 course meal of pumpkin soup, cheesy surprises (this is literally what the menu said), arroz de Valencia (Rice soup), and a piece of fruit con espuma (foam and bubbles). It was delicious!

All the girls! Bebe, Tiffany, Katie, Sofia, and Quintessa

Our Menu

I felt like I had to include the cheesy surprise. I was very skeptical at first, but it was actually good.

Yesterday, I went to the Torre de Serranos, which actually once formed the gateway to Valencia. We climbed to the top and jumped the barricade to reach the flag. The view was incredible.

We pretended like we were prisoners (It actually once was a former women's prison)

My friend Ellen

Trying the capture the view with David and Ellen

Made it all the way to the top!

Torre de Serranos

Lost In Translation

Speaking and understanding Spanish has gotten so much easier. Today at lunch, I had a conversation with 3 Spanish people who were so sweet! It's such great practice, and one even complimented my espanol. :)Although we're all learning so much Spanish here, some things do get lost in translation. For example, my friend Matt was trying to ask someone what she wanted, but instead said, "Te quiero," which translated to 'I love you.' It was really funny, but thank goodness they are understanding and helpful when we make mistakes. Also, I went to do my laundry the other day, and ended up using 'suavizante' or softener instead of detergent. Now my clothes smell very strongly of flowers and aren't clean. Haha, you live and you learn.

More importantly, the PASTRIES here are to die for. I struggle to not get more than one napolitana chocolate everyday!

Aside from desserts, we try to fill our time with lots of adventures. A few days ago, a group of us went to the Valencian aquarium (Oceanografic). The arquitecture of the building alone made me want to go and visit! My personal favorites on the inside though were the penguins and the walrus tank.

Lexi and I on the way to the aquarium!

2 Besos

Hola from Valencia, Spain! I am in my second week here, and I'm absolutely loving it. I have missed a lot of blogging, so I will just describe everything for you guys. :) We greet each other here with two kisses, which in my opinion is much sweeter than a handshake. Orange trees overwhelm the entire city, and even line the major roads. Valencians are very big on their fruit - I'm practically eating fruit all day long. The fashion in Spain is much more formal than in the states..you rarely see people dressed down. Outfits consist of a leather jacket, vintage/classy accessories, and high boots. So in a nutshell, sweatpants and tennis shoes are not acceptable attire for class.

My absolute favorite place in Valencia is La Plaza de la Virgen (Plaza of the Virgin). In the middle, there is a peaceful fountation that is always covered in pigeons. I could honestly sit in this plaza all day long, eating churros con chocolate, and people watching. Not too bad, huh?

This is my home - the Rector Peset, where my daily siestas occur. The dorm is really nice..we have maid service everyday! A sweet lady comes in our room everyday to make our beds and clean our bathrooms. We're definitely being spoiled.



 

The classes I'm taking here are very helpful, but it doesn't take up too much of my exploring time. :) I have a total of 4 classes - 1 every Monday and Wednesday, 3 every Tuesday and Thursday. No Friday classes!! My instructors are really laid back, and are more concerned with our learning than our grades.

The other day, we climbed the tower of the Basilica and overlooked the entire city. We could see the decorated rooftops of the surrounding buildings - it was really breathtaking. I'm going to have to go back a couple more times during my stay.

Before arriving in Valencia, we all took a day trip to Toledo, Spain. We got lost several times because the entire city is a complex maze! Cars zoomed past us in the tiny alley ways between buildings, and I was almost run over a couple of times. I enjoyed being there and sight-seeing!

I still have much more to catch you up on, so I will try to post another blog tonight! Adios chicos!

McDonald's and Prostitutes

Today is my second day in Madrid, Spain! Our flight was delayed for two days because of the heavy snow in Atlanta, but we are finally here. Yesterday, we took a bus tour of Madrid, wandered around the shops, changed money, and then went out. We had some Sangria and danced; it was a lot of fun. Today, we did a walking tour of Madrid - It's so beautiful here. There is so much history, life, and things to see! We went to Palacio Real, Santa Maria Catedral, La Plaza Mayor, El Museo de Prado, La Plaza de Espana, and Puerta Del Sol. We ate at the Plaza Mayor and had fried chicken "pollo asado" and a Coca Cola - not very Spanish, but we're getting there haha. I was told that kings were crowned and people were executed in La Plaza Mayor. It was definitely neat to be there!

The Plaza Mayor

The Palacio Real was incredible. We were able to walk through the rooms where kings and queens of Spain lived. I have never seen decorations that were so dramatic, ornate, or expensive. One of the rooms held the royal thrown, which was pretty unreal. The rooms were covered in velvet, gold, chandeliers, ceiling paintings, and crystals. The Spanish (language-wise) is a little overwhelming, but I'm getting used to it and learning a lot. I understand much better than I can speak the language. With time, I'll be a pro. :) Tomorrow is Toledo!

 

 The Palacio Real

 Santa Maria Catedral

Also and most importantly, McDonald's is the hang out place and is SUPER fancy. The prostitutes here are really fashionable (in a slutty way, of course), and they wear boots that cover their thighs and skirts that cover nothing. Did I forget to mention that they like to stand outside of the McDonald's?