(Paris, 08/15/11)

(Paris, 08/15/11)

I love seeing the sights as much as anybody, but my favorite thing about traveling is what you find if you wander. On our last night in Paris, Matt and I ended up behind the Notre Dame Cathedral during sunset along the Seine--perfect unintentional timing.

(Quintanilla de Onésimo, 10/08/11)

Today, my study abroad group went to one of the best wineries in Spain. I could take or leave the actual wine drinking, but the whole experience was incredible. The tour took us all over the vineyard, including some non-wine experiences (see next post). We tried the grapes straight off of the vine--I was too distracted by the numerous seeds to pay attention to how good they tasted.

(Madrid, 08/30/11)

For the first time during my trip, I was travelling by myself, meaning I did a lot of aimless wandering. I ended up in the biggest park in Madrid, Parque de Buen Retiro, where I sat for hours, enjoying the lively weekend crowd, the dubious street vendors, and the boats floating by on the manmade pond.

I was surprised to witness a warmup for what appeared to be a kayak-waterpolo game right there on the pond. The players scooped and threw the ball with their paddles, shooting it into hoops. I had a limited understanding of the rules after watching, but that doesn't mean I won't go home and try it out anyway!

(Salamanca)

This is the Plaza Mayor, the central point of Salamanca. It's the favorite meeting spot of students and seniors alike, debajo del reloj (under the clock). I walk through the Plaza multiple times a day and never cease to be amazed by how cool it is.

(Florence, 8/23/11)

Florence turned out to have every bit of Italian Renaissance history that I had forgotten from my 10th grade European history class. I remembered Ghiberti's brass doors of the baptistry, Michelangelo's David, Brunelleschi's duomo, etc., but my favorite thing was the Ponte Vecchio. I was intrigued that it was the only bridge remaining from the bombings during World War II--probably because Hitler liked art.

The bridge itself is beautiful--the whole thing is lined with colorful stores. Nowadays, they're all jewelers, but they used to be butcher shops before the Medici family (probably) kicked them out due to the smell. Each store closes its wooden panelling when it closes, which is beautiful in itself. 

The history major in me loved Florence.

(Salamanca, Fall 2011)

Now is a time of protest in Spain and across the world. Earlier this semester, Salmantinos against bullfighting gathered in the Plaza Mayor to voice their discontent. It was an interesting dynamic, because many citizens are pro-bullfighting, and some shouted throughout the rally to disrupt it. Bullfighting is mostly popular with the older generation, but it will likely be a long time before it becomes illegal across Spain.

The 15M movement has also been demonstrating in the Plaza almost every day since I've been in Salamanca. Starting out as a disorganized mass, it has recently become a rallying force throughout Spain, as well as in some other cities in the world. This past weekend, hundreds of people gathered to voice their discontent with Spain's high unemployment, among other social issues.