The Immaculate Conception in Spain

Living in Italy has many perks, one of which is the holidays I receive due to the Catholic dominance in this country. I myself and not Catholic, but if the Italians want to give me a five day weekend to travel in order to celebrate the Immaculate Conception, then I'm a happy camper.

So a few weeks ago I went to Spain with some close friends. The plan was to spend a few days in Valencia and a day or two in Madrid, but honestly, I could have stayed a few months (or more) in Valencia.
Valencia is Spain's third largest city (after Madrid and Barcelona) but in my opinion is the best. Now, I haven't been to Barcelona and I understand it's quite interesting, but Valencia is located on the South Eastern coast of Spain. This means that in the dead of winter the temperature hovers around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. So much warmer than the 30 degree weather I'm currently having in Siena...

Valencia is also incredibly beautiful. The historical center is similar to Siena due to its winding cobblestone streets, preserved buildings, and busy plazas. The inner city is beautiful with churches and fortresses. But there is also a fantastic amount of night life there with tons of bars and dance clubs. Valencia is also incredibly clean and safe. I stayed in a hostel near one of the main plazas (Plaza de la virgen). Here are some pictures of the city center.







Here you can see that Valencia really outdoes itself when decorating for Christmas. Look how beautiful!







There is also a park that used to be a river (which flooded out) that runs through Valencia. There are skate parks, mini golf courses, a park shaped like Jesus, lots of grass and fountains there as well.





If you walk a bit out of the city center, there are sky scrapers and modern office buildings. Keep walking down the river/park Turia from the city center and you'll find the City of Arts and Sciences (designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela). This is a cluster of incredibly futuristic looking buildings that house museums and laboratories and aquariums.








Past the City of Arts and Sciences is the beach with lovely long stretches of soft, white sand.






While out at night, I drank only Aigua de Valencia - a specialty alcoholic drink of Valencia containing Oranges and a ridiculous amount of different hard alcohols. Delicious, but deadly.



Upon arriving in Madrid after being in the paradise of Valencia, I couldn't enjoy myself with all the throngs of tourists and pickpockets. Something about Valencia enchanted me. I am now seriously considering studying for a year during graduate school in Valencia if possible. Valencia was quite possibly my favorite city in Europe that I've visited so far.

Thanksgiving in Paris

Ok, so I know I'm almost a month late on the update, but I finally have a few hours to catch up on all I've been up to these past few weeks!

This is the first holiday season that I have not spent with my family (being in Europe, its a bit difficult to celebrate with everyone in America). This last Thanksgiving, I went with a few friends to Paris for a long weekend. While I didn't have any turkey in honor of the holiday, I did eat some pretty delicious foods: crepes, duck, rabbit, and French wine were just some of the delicious French dishes I enjoyed.

Here's a picture of my Thanksgiving dinner: Duck and potatoes - so delicious!



The Thanksgiving trip to Paris was my second time in the city (the first being over three years ago). I hit up all the normal touristy areas and re-visited some of my favorite places in Paris such as the Louvre, L'arc de triumphe, Les Champs Elysees, and of course the Eiffel Tower. While walking down the Chaps Elysees one evening (which is beautiful - all lit up for Christmas), my friends and I stumbled upon a special event with a famous French singer who I had never heard about before named Sliimy. We got to hear him sing a bit and snapped a few photos.








Here is my favorite sculpture at the Louvre: Psyche and Cupid. I just think the lines are so beautiful and there's a feeling of pure and innocent love to it.



I also visited the Musee d'Orsay for the first time and spent a few hours admiring all the Van Gogh paintings and Rodin sculptures.






I stayed in the Quatier Latin (Latin Quarter) near St. Michel. The Latin Quarter is crammed with fantastic crepe and gyros/kebab stands as well as a fun variety of bars and little dance clubs.

Now, with any big city, there are bound to be con-artists and Paris does not disappoint. There are gypsy women who have English speakers read letters that tell these women's supposed sob stories and then beg you for money. There are men who offer to spin you a bracelet from thread, but even when you refuse, they offer to show you and begin weaving thread around your wrist. When they've finished they hold on to your wrist by the bracelet and refuse to let go until you've paid them five euro. The scam that I personally encountered was one where a man bends down to the ground and appears to pick up a ring (typically a gold band) and then asks if its yours. When you say no, they say (in French or broken English) "Oh, have it, it's a gift from the angels...but I haven't eaten in days. Please give me some money for this ring". They refuse to leave you alone until you give them money or their friend has picked your pocket. I, however, having no patience for these things, eventually threw the ring on the ground at the mans feet before anything could be taken from me.

Apart from the frustrating scams, I felt so at home in Paris -I felt so at home in Paris. My French is still leaps and bounds ahead of my Italian and I loved being in a country where I can effectively communicate with the locals.

I'm aware this entry is a short one, but I will be following this post with another one about my 20th birthday in Paris!

Happy Father's Day!

Today was a relatively sunny day in a string of cloudy, overcast days here in (supposedly sunny) San Diego. And it is also Father's Day!

It's been a pretty low-key day and my father (who never takes a day to stop working because there's always something to clean or fix around our house) has - hopefully - been enjoying himself.

Here are some chocolate covered strawberries I made today to celebrate the holiday!




My dad plays a very unique role in my life. Sometimes I feel most similar to my father than anyone else in my family. Its from him that I think I get my appreciation for things such as classical music and art. I'm more inclined toward creativity, such as my father, rather than methodical and calculated approaches towards situations.

But the trait I most enjoy that I've inherited from my father is my natural pessimism. Now, If I had to classify myself as an optimist or pessimist, I would say optimist. But underlying that cheery outlook on life, is my natural negativity that causes me to always see the worst case scenario that can arise from specific situations. For example, what if I fail my German class? Or, if I'm going on a trip, what happens if I lose a contact lens?
When making plans, I always identify these negatives. And then I worry about these negatives.

Now why would this be a good trait for my father and myself?

I see it as an asset. Because of this natural, underlying pessimism, my dad and I never rush headlong into situations without first assessing all the negatives - and then preparing for them. We clear the path before sprinting ahead. So if I fear I may fail my German class - I study harder. Or, if I'm afraid of loosing a contact lens, I pack extra.

Don't get me wrong. Spontaneity is great, but so is planning ahead (at least within reason).

I'm glad to be my father's daughter. Aside from the excellent parenting he has provided to me over the years, I would be nowhere without this healthy dose of natural pessimism that I learned from him. Love you, Dad!