Un "Regimen"

Well, two months and three kilos later, it's time for a "regimen" or diet for all of you people who don't speak Spanish.

Tonight, after eating a HUGE spanish sandwich consisting of white bread, eggs, and cheese, I walked slowly to the sink and sadly showed Isa the result of eating two much bread and dessert. I told her (for the second week in a row) that's it's time for me to go on a diet and I ABSOLUTELY CANNOT eat any more bread and/or fried foods for dinner. She laughed at me and with a huge grin on her face, grabbed my hands and placed them on her waist.

"Feel how much weight I've lost," she said (in Spanish of course), "I've lost 3 kilos (7 pounds) in 15 days." I told her not to give me anymore details...I wasn't in the mood to hear her weight loss succcess stories!

She followed me into the hall laughing and told me she would teach me to be on a "regimen." She said I should begin by only eating fruta (fruit) or ensalada (salad) for dinner, but here comes the hard part… she told me it was time to stop snacking and eat only what she gives me.

She then proceeded to list all of the things I need to stop eating including:
1) Mucho pan (a lot of bread)
2) Postre, especialmente Neopolitanas (dessert, especially (MY FAVORITE) NEOPOLITANAS)
3) Bocadillos (sandwiches)
4) Galletas con chocolate (cookies with chocolate)

I have no idea how she knew I've been eating all this stuff (maybe from personal experience), but she told me it was time for a change!
"I promise to eat only salad and fruit for dinner," I said sticking out my hand. Isa smiled, and we shook on it. “Vale (okay),” she said.

So here goes, Isa and I shook on it. It's time for a regimen and Isa will be my instructor!! (Why do I feel like I’m making a pact with the devil)? Haha! Wish me luck! : ))

Hasta luego!!

Granada

Hola todos! I'm a terrible person and have not written in TWO WEEKS!!! What can I say, I've been busy living the life of a traveler (well, kind of)!

The weekend of February 5th-7th, I visited Granada, a beautiful city with an amazing history. The first place we visited in Granada was the Alhambra, a palace and fortress complex built by Moorish monarchs beginning around 1232. Before visiting Granada, I heard the Alhambra was Spain's most visited monument, and after I saw it, I knew why. The architecture and location of this place are absolutely stunning.

Here is a picture of one of my favorite areas in the Alhambra. This is the Patio de Arrayanes. It was cloudy the day we visited, so my picture definitely does not do this place justice. On a sunny day, this pool reflects light into the surrounding halls.



The Alhambra is also the inspiration for Washington Irving's book, "Tales of the Alhambra." I was able to take several pictures of his room, including this photo of his bed...HOW NEAT!!!



Here are a few more pictures of my visit to the Alhambra.







The second place we visited in Granada was La Capilla Real. Inside the Capilla Real are the tombs of two of the most influential people in Spain's history, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the Capilla Real, but the experience was well worth it. Outside La Capilla Real, we visited a gypsy spice market. The spices are much cheaper than in the States. I bought Saffron and Vanilla.



After a full day of touring the city, we had the oppotunity to go to the gypsy caves and watch Flamenco. It was my second time to watch Flamenco, but these dancers were definitely the best I've seen. These people have a passion for the dance, and as creepy as it may be...they don't smile AT ALL while they are dancing!



(The Spanish Patrick Swayze).



Okay, so I know I had to insert a disclaimer in my last blog because I always say, "This is the most fascinating place I have ever visited," but the Monasterio de San Jerónimo is DEFINITELY the most fascinating place I have visited. My favorite part of the monastery was the church. The interior was absolutely stunning, and I liked the story behind it. It was paid for by the Duchess of Sesa as a memorial to her husband, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba. Fernández was the the "Gran Capitan" to Charles V. Here are some pictures of the church.







You will notice Fernández's original sword was used in this painting...fascinating!!





We spent the last day in Granada exploring the city. One of the places we visited was the Moroccan market. There were so many things I would have liked to buy there, but it was hard to multitask between shopping and clinging to my purse...enough said..haha!





After, shopping we grabbed a kebab (which everyone agreed was the best thing we've eaten in Spain), and then we found a park to soak up some sun. I had to have a nap, of course.





Well, that about wraps up my trip to Granada. I visited so many places in so little time, but hopefully I've done an okay job of summing up my favorite parts!!

I hope I have the opportunity to someday return to the place Washington Irving called, "Lovely Granada! City of delights! I speak with enthusiasm on this theme; for it is connected with the recollection of one of the sweetest evenings and sweetest scenes that ever I enjoyed in Spain."

Barcelona

Hola todos! I'm back from my Barcelona trip, and I must say it was definitely the MOST FASCINATING place I have ever visited. (Disclaimer: Please be prepared to hear me say this after every trip.)
While in Barcelona I was able to add to my list of "firsts." The first "first" on my list was staying in a hostel. I'm not sure what I expected to find when I entered the hostel, but Itaca failed to list "psychedelic" in their description of the decor. Upon entering the door and stumbling through a mixture of fumes smelling of cigarette smoke and vanilla vodka, I finally I found my way to the receptionist. The guy behind the counter, appearing as though he hadn't showered in a week, gave us the keys to our room and told us we would be staying in the "green room" on the second floor. The walls surrounding the stairwell were painted cobalt blue with a picture of a yellow submarine full of hippies sailing up to the second floor.
Kristen was the first person to enter the room, and I can't begin to describe the look on her face when she flipped the lights and found herself looking directly into the eyes of one of our male roommates. I had the same reaction when I walked in, looked to my left, and found myself looking directly into a pair of bloodshot eyes belonging to a man with wild red hair and a bushy beard. Staying in the hostel was interesting to say the least. I enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone, but after two days without a shower, I was glad to return home to my clean little room.

Number two on my lists of firsts was to touch the Mediterranean Sea. It was cold and windy in Barcelona, but I had to take at least one picture dipping my fingers into the Mediterranean. Here is the slightly awkward picture I took. I was trying to avoid getting the icy water in my shoes!



I forgot to mention earlier that we only had two days in Barcelona, so we decided to take a bus tour on Saturday. It worked out really well because the bus took us to about 15 different stops, and we were able to choose when and where we wanted to get off. We could spend as much time as we wanted at each stop before getting back on the bus to head to our next stop. (However, there were a couple of times when the bus failed to stop even though I'm positive the driver could see me sprinting behind it frantically waving my arms).

One of the most amazing places we visited was the Sagrada Familia church. Construction on this church began in 1883 but a year later was given to Gaudí who completely changed the original design. (The term "gaudy" comes from Gaudí whose works can definitely be described with this word. You will see evidence of this in the pictures I provided.) In typical Gaudí fashion, the design of this church is in a league of its own. Gaudí lived and worked on the site for 16 years before his death, but construction on the church still has not reached completion.





Everything was so detailed. I especially like the fruits. These oranges sat atop one of the towers. They looked so real!



This is a view from the top of one of the towers looking down the stairs. Needless-to-say I was exhausted by the time I finally made it back down!



I didn't find the interior of the Sagrada Familia that impressive because it is still under construction, but I LOVED the stained glass!



Here are a couple more pictures of Gaudí's work. This is the Casa Batlló. It was absolutely beautiful.





Sunday, we visited the Picasso museum and Las Ramblas Street. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos inside the Picasso museum, but it was definitely worth the visit.
Las Ramblas street was a hustle and bustle of stands selling everything from leather bracelets, to flowers, to birds and rabbits. I was most impressed by these strange costumes!






I could go on forever about how much fun I had in Barcelona. It is a beautiful city with an invigorating atmosphere, but Sunday I was ready to return to what I now call "Home Sweet Sevilla."
Hasta luego!