Pamplona...Los Encierros

The weather has taken a turn for the best and is nice and warm in the bright sun with a light cool breeze. The other morning, we went to a café that we saw advertised in the window our favorite Italian coffee, Illy, and had the best café yet since leaving Rome. I also ordered an apple pastry, accidentally telling the bakery clerk I wanted a melanzana (Italian for eggplant) pastry, when I meant manzana (Spanish for apple). Luckily he didn’t know Italian because melanzana wouldn’t have been a good flavored breakfast pastry. Pointing is probably the best method of communicating until my Spanish improves. We sat in the sun and sipped our hot drinks and ate our breakfasts, then caught the bus to Pamplona, an hour away from San Sebastian. What chaos The city was packed with people and literally every person we saw was wearing all white with red belts or bandanas in celebration of “Los Encierros” - the running of the bulls. Some people were sleeping in random areas - under trees, on benches, at the bus stop - obviously recovering still from a rough night before. We arrived after today’s ‘running’, which happens for about 2 minutes every morning for a week, but we arrived just in time for all the fiestas. We walked the city of Pamplona - the big plazas, the winding streets and saw the stadium where every night’s bull fights are held. We walked the trail that the bulls run on and stopped at the corral where the bulls are held and released each morning for the running. We also got to see photos posted in the plaza of the run of the day... The city was loud and alive, with mariachi bands playing, giant parades chanting down the streets, live guitar music coming from a stage, street performers break dancing or performing magic and just crowds and crowds of people laughing, screaming, dancing, talking, partying. It seemed like everyone was on a mission to get as drunk as possible, and many, well, most it seemed succeeded -especially the kid puking next to us. After walking throughout the chaos for a while, we decided to sit under a tree in the grass with loads of others and have some sangria - which we were able to buy a huge jug of for 3 euro. As we sat there meeting our neighbors, people watching, talking, laughing, drinking and eating bocadillos. I looked around and felt this overwhelming sense of happiness, an appreciation for my life...the different cultures I have experienced, the people I have met, the places I have been, the world that Sean and I have been able to see together. It was a good feeling, and one I will never forget. We got back to San Sebastian late, tired and sun drained. I have had very mixed feelings over this whole event. In one sense, everyone was happy and having a good time. I had a lot of fun too, and just couldn’t believe the craziness. In another sense, one that no one thinks about in their drunken hazes, is that people get hurt, animals are being tortured. A Spanish boy, 27 years old was killed the same day by the horn of a bull. It’s such a sad, sad thing... that a person, who was actually passionate about this, and has trained his whole life running, lost his life. In contrast to the people who come here from all over the world to party and have a good time, he saw this as an art form, a beautiful and important part of his culture. I think about his family and friends, who said goodbye to him that day, unaware that in his quest for experiencing his yearly tradition and fun, he wouldn’t survive. It kind of puts a cloud over the whole thing, and makes me think it is just a little bit cruel. I also couldn’t help but feel a little bit sad for the bulls, so powerful, mighty and strong, and yet also at the mercy of man...So, all in all it was an interesting experience, and I am glad we went, and also glad we missed the running, as I couldn’t have stood to see anyone hurt. During our time in Pamlona, we were having a blast, and now I just hope there are no more fatalities.

San Sebastian

After Biarritz, we headed south about 30 minutes to San Sebastian, Spain. We have been here for 4 days now, and at first the weather had been rainy, cloudy, and a little chilly - until yesterday which cleared up for a while and we were able to get some sun on the beach. On the train ride down, we found out that the day we arrived began the week long ‘running of the bulls’ in Pamplona, which is right near San Sebastian. We are going to try to go tomorrow, although I am a little scared, and don’t want to see anyone or any bulls get hurt. San Sebastian is beautiful. It’s a medium size city that is all walkable in a day - we actually walk it about 40 times in a day. The beaches are filled with surfers and the city is filled with surf shops and bars. It’s very green and lush, and the apartment flat buildings all around the city, with different color window shutters, and black iron rod balcony fences, have a unique look and charm, like something out of a story book. A few things are taking some time getting used to. First of all they don’t have very many restaurants, rather they have bars where they serve “pintxos”, which are like little appetizers or tapas that sit on the counter all day, and you just take what you want. 95% of it is seafood, and I have been a little apprehensive to just pick up something off the counter that may have been sitting there for hours. They do this for breakfast, lunch and dinner too. The other strange thing is that they all throw their trash or cigarettes on the floor in these bars (yes they smoke inside too). When I walk by a place and see garbage all over the floor, it doesn’t really entice me to go in. So, we haven't completely gotten into the food, although we have already had our favorite, 'tortilla espanola" a couple times, which is just a cake type thing made of egg and potato. Spanish isn't as similar to Italian as everyone thinks, and when I speak, Italian is the only thing that has been coming out of my mouth, so it has taken some adjusting to. Sean has fallen right back into it and is speaking for the both of us most of the time. We went on an awesome hike the other day overlooking the whole of San Sebastian - it was beautiful. The sun even came out for a bit although it had been raining all day, casting a pretty glow over whole, green city and blue waters. The sun doesn't actually set until after 10pm, so we have found ourselves spending the evenings on the beach, watching the sun set behind the surfers in the water. We aren’t sure how long we are going to stay here, but are going to explore as much of the coast as possible. And we will get Sean in the water as soon as possible to surf!

A little backpacking in France...

After a long, over-night train ride out of Rome, with a 3 hour layover in Milan (we got in all the sightseeing necessary in that time), we arrived at our first stop, Nice, France. Nice was beautiful. It was bigger than expected, and full of fancy restaurants with huge portions, cute little outdoor vendors selling jewelry or bright yellow and blue French-country inspired fabrics, fun night spots and pretty beaches. There was an old town, and a more modern part of town - I preferred the older part, which had charming, colorful buildings and narrow, lively roads. The newer part had a lot of open space, fountains and funky modern art. We learned quickly that prices were high, and the French do not speak any other languages than French, which I literally don’t know one word of. Apparently Italian is useless anywhere else but Italy also, which is disappointing, but also not surprising. The people were friendly and the food was delicious - especially the soft, warm, tasty baguettes, which were amazingly the best bread I have ever had. The beaches were covered in rocks, which didn’t make the best bed for laying out on, so we spent most of our time walking and exploring the city and beaches.

After getting acquainted with Nice, the next day, we took a short 15 minute train ride to Monaco. Apparently this little area is a country all in it’s own, understandably so. Monaco reminded me of something out of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, or “MTV Cribs”. It was a mix between Newport Coast, Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and a way higher-class version of Vegas. It was beautiful, immaculate. I naturally felt like I would run into Paris Hilton, or Beyonce any minute. Enormous yachts filled the harbor and women that screamed plastic surgery, and their rich husbands in loafers and Hermes filled the streets and important restaurants, expensive Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Rolls Royces filled the parking lots. We walked around this city for a while, and even went into the famous casino. I won 16 euro, but then lost 15 of it, so came out on top with 1 euro (which was a third of the price for a coke). I normally wouldn’t be gambling, but I am very lucky, so I had to try my luck in the famous Monaco casino - although, I guess losing most of what I won isn’t very lucky. The heat was intense, so we continued walking through this outdoor restaurant that had little water misters go off every few minutes, to cool down the customers. We just walked through it a few times to get a little spritz. We wouldn’t dare try to buy anything. We also just happen to stumble upon the Tour de France which was starting in Monaco when we arrived. We didn’t watch the actual race, but got to see the set up and all the hype. Monaco had amazing views, expensive shopping and glistening fountains. I definitely want to return when I am rich and famous.

After spending 2 nights in Nice, we went to Cannes which was about a 45 minute train ride away. I adored Cannes! Again, very posh. Every designer shop imaginable lined the streets along with glittery hotels, like the Ritz Hotel advertising the upcoming fur fashion show, mixed in with little local shops selling yummy French soaps, or sweets. Sean and I indulged in a super-rich chocolate cake from one of the bakeries. It was about the size of my palm, but so decadent and sweet, we were in heaven for the 10 seconds it took us to finish. The weather was hot and the sandy beaches were packed with Europeans sunbathing and swimming in the delicious, clear warm waters. We saw more topless women and speedos than we imagined we would, but we appreciated the liberal attitude the French have. The famous Cannes Film Festival building was packed with tourists walking the red carpet. Portraits of the famous stars who frequent Cannes were all over the place, giving it a Hollywood vibe. After spending a day exploring the city and taking photos, we spent another full day just relaxing in the hot sun, swimming and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. I realized during my visit to the French Riviera that I adore France and everything French culture has to offer - the food, the classy people, the sound of the language that is so foreign to my ears but pretty at the same time, the colorful French fabrics and French-country designs, and the clean, sunny atmosphere.

We caught a late-night train 13 hour train ride from Cannes to Biarritz, France. The weather took a drastic turn when we arrived in Biarritz. The clouds rolled in, along with a slight drizzle. Biarritz was filled with surfers from all over the world, and had a very “Del Mar, California” feel to it - super small town with nice shops, restaurants and lots of surfer kids - very relaxed. We took a bus to the beach, Sean had his head hanging out the window the whole time, excited to actually see waves for the first time since we have been in Europe. We checked out the beach and all the surfers in the water, and had an awesome lunch at a creperia, where we had the best crepes and fresh, veggie-packed, tasty salads. We couldn’t read a word of the menu, so just ordered whatever seemed vegetarian, so we didn’t end up with something really strange like fish eyes or something. I was wondering how all the other English-speakers managed, since there was no doubt lots of foreign surfers visiting, and then I saw a group of kids at the same restaurant with their language dictionaries out trying to interpret the menu. Smart...when we end up back in France, we will do the same.

Andrea in....France? Spain?

Today is our official last day living in our "cozy" studio in the heart of Trastevere, Roma - our little home away from home. With little work available teaching in the summer months, and the city slowly being deserted by locals and filled with tourists, we decided to leave for the summer, and possibly longer, depending on what happens. We have been soaking up everything we possibly can about Roma lately - from the gelato and cappucini, to the view of the Vatican at sunset from the bridge near our home, to the loud, gesticulating Italians, to cold prosecco with friends, to the pretty piazzas, ancient churches, famous museums, enormous Greek-influenced statues and fountains. Like the book "Good night Moon," we have been saying "good night" or more like "goodbye" to all that has become dear to us over the last 10 months... "goodbye gelato, goodbye fontanelle with fresh cold drinking water, goodbye mean ladies at the supermarket who never want to give us change, goodbye friends, goodbye old man on our street who says buongiorno every morning, goodbye piazza di spanga, goodbye Italian MTV that we watch every morning, goodbye ponte sisto, goodbye church that has been my salvation at times, goodbye street performers that still make me laugh even though I have seen the act 100 times, goodbye lady who sells jewelery on the corner, goodbye tram, goodbye funny looking dog, goodbye long, warm walks on cobblestone streets, goodbye Roma...." Rome has found it's way into both our hearts and will always be a place we treasure above all. I have a feeling we will end up back here someday too.
So...what's next? We just got back from Termini train station where we basically played the ticket machines like they were slots in Vegas, and ended up with one way tickets to NICE, FRANCE! The plan is to spend a few night exploring the French Riviera and live the (very low-budget) VIP life. We have managed to fit our lives into backpacks and are slowly making our way over to the north coast of Spain with a few fun stops on the way....

A few of my favorite things

This dog is very sweet and sits outside a children’s clothing shop near our house everyday just watching people pass by. He has a very calm demeanor and seems like he is always thinking something profound. If you bend down to greet him, he slowly walks toward you, looks up at your face and loves to be pet.

Everyday there is a farmer’s market in Campo de Fiori (which translates to “field of flowers”). I love more than anything to go, get a fresh bowl of macedonia, which is cut up mixed fruits like grapes, apples, bananas, peaches, pineapple and watermelon, and sit next to the Bruno statue in the middle of the piazza with the hot sun blaring down. The market has every bright, colorful fruit or vegetable imaginable, and also cheeses, honeys, meats, fish and pastas. I love to watch the happy vendors and happy people and I love that this happens everyday of the week.

Lastly, my favorite gelato (big surprise) of the week is coconut, watermelon and orange. The tart orange mixed with cool watermelon go perfectly with the sweet coconut which has real coconut flecks in it!

Notti sul Tevere

“Nights on the Tevere”. In the summer the normally bum infested, pee pee smelling Tevere river and the beautiful Isola Tiberina are transformed into happening places to spend the warm summer evenings. You can grab a drink or aperitivo at one of the many loungy looking bars with dim lights, sparkly walls and soft sofas, or play one of the carnival-esque games such as shooting cans, or just shop around the many vendors selling hippie handbags, pretty-smelling incenses, summer dresses or fresh candies. We have strolled the river a couple times now just enjoying the soft lights glowing amongst the water.

Chiesa di S. Ignazio

This church is famous because Andrea Pozzo painted la finta cupola, a fake dome at the front of the church. The church didn't have enough money to build a real one, so this was painted to give the illusion of light filling the church from the dome. It looks like a real dome until you get close enough to notice it was actually painted on a flat surface.