Guest Blogger: Chloe Rome's Week in Barca

This is a post from my sister, Chloe. She really wanted to write a post about her week in Spain...so I let her! I've been meaning to post it. Hope you enjoy! 

First of all, hellooo to all you lovely people who follow AJ's blog. I finally convinced her to let me guest blog about my visit to Barcelona so sit back, relax, and enjoy. AJ already filled you in on our wondrous trip to Amsterdam, but it was amazing. The city was nothing like I expected it to be; I had high expectations and they were definitely met. But enough about that. Let’s talk about Barcelona. I have been to Spain before: my Sophomore year I went on a trip with my Spanish class all over the south of Spain and also to Madrid. I thought I knew what to expect, but Barcelona was nothing like I thought it was going to be: it was better!

After we got back from Amsterdam we checked into our hotel and were all way too tired to do much that night. Kermit and I had gone straight to Amsterdam from a sleepless flight, and Alison (AJ’s amiga from UGA) had also just gotten into Spain.  For dinner, we went to a charming little restaurant close to AJ’s apartment: La Turca.  There are pictures of food on the outside, as well as strings of flashing lights covering the windows.  I mean, who doesn’t love a place where you can order a falafel, pizza, and noodles?  As we ate, AJ explained that in her neighborhood, Sagrada Familia, there aren’t many good places to eat.  La Sagrada Familia is one of the oldest neighborhoods and isn’t the hip and happening place like other areas of Barcelona.  But she does live a block away from Gaudi’s La Sagrada Familia, one of the coolest and most beautiful basilicas I have ever seen. And, AJ being AJ, had a thorough itinerary planned for us for the week.  At first I thought it was her OCD-like tendencies shining through, but as the week progressed I was so thankful for her extensive planning.  The only reason I think we were able to be so efficient with our time was because of AJ.  I definitely think if she had let us figure out our days on our own we may have been sitting there, with blank stares, going “soooooo, what do you wana do today?” for hours.

The next day was our first full day in Barcelona.  Alison, Kermit, and I ventured out to La Rambla, a street filled with tiny kiosks, restaurants, and stores that is a must-see when visiting Barcelona.  We just wandered down the long street and accidentally ended up in La Bouqueria, a popular outdoor market that has everything from cow tongues to fresh juices.  We then met AJ for lunch at this awesome Mexican restaurant, La Rosa Negra.  I got some delicious sangria and ceviche, while Kermit, Alison, and AJ got drunk off mojitos and margaritas. I clearly did that all wrong.  After lunch, AJ had to go back to class and we wandered over to the Arc de Triomf.  It’s a beautiful arch that sits at the enrance to a park.  We mozied down and eventually decided to lie down on a grassy knoll.  We took a little nap, surrounded by what we can only assume to be drug dealers and Spanish couples participating in excessive PDA.  We finally managed to get up and meet AJ.  We headed to Parc Güell, designed by Gaudi and breathtakingly beautiful.  It was one of my favorite places.  We got there a little before sunset and the orange glow coupled with the unique structures of Gaudi made for an amazing view.

The gang enjoying Parc Güell

We then went to this awesome burger bar called Kiosko Burger.  You basically build your own burger; it was so delicious!  We then went back to prepare for Nasty Monday's at Sala Apolo, a club type thingy that to be honest I still don’t completely understand.  At the last minute we decided to forgo Nasty Monday and go to Loco Lunes at the club Otto Zuttz.  We danced. We drank. We made some new friends. And then all of a sudden it was 5am and I needed my bed.  

I don’t know how AJ does it, because when I woke up at 11:45 the next morning it felt like the hand of God had slapped me.  We were suppose to meet Alison at 12 to head over to La Sagrada Familia, but we were moving a bit slow that morning.  We finally left the hotel and made it to La Sagrada Familia.  La Sagrada Familia is Gaudi’s unfinished masterpiece.  He started building it in the late 1800’s but he died in 1926 before he could finish it.  At the time of his death it was only about a quarter complete.  Since then, work has been continued on the basilica with the goal of finishing it in 2026, the centennial anniversary of Gaudi’s death.  My first impression of the basilica up close was: this is insane. Like seriously, this thing towers over the entire city and is so intricately designed that you have a hard time processing it all, but then I went inside. *Suggestions to those who plan on visiting: do not tour la sagrada familia when you are hungover.* The moment I stepped inside and looked up, I swear I started tripping and even contemplated throwing up.  But I didn’t want to be that girl who threw up in Barcelona’s most prized basilica, so I pushed through.  The inside of the basilica was nothing like I had ever seen before.  All the columns were constructed differently with a myriad of colors; it was like I was in an enchanted forest.  Even though every time I looked up my depth perception was compromised, it was still breathtaking none the less.  

After my near death experience at the basilica, we headed over to meet AJ to get brunch at this place called Milk.  This was one of my favorite places to eat in Barcelona (I went there a total of 3 times in 6 days). It's an Irish owned restaurant in el Born (my favorite neighborhood) and offers a “recovery brunch”, which is definitely what I needed.  AJ, Kermit, and Alison sipped on bloody mary’s and mimosas while I tried to come back to life and keep some food down.  Thankfully I started feeling like a normal person again and we ventured out into El Born to do some shopping and exploring.  El Born is a neighborhood filled with small boutiques, hip restaurants, and other hole-in-the walls.  It’s a bit edgy and I loved it.  We went to this shoe shop that makes its own espadrilles and slip on shoes. Naturally we all got a pair. AJ also took us to this awesome bookstore that had over 8,000 books and me, being the book nerd that I am, had so much fun wandering around the store.  After our afternoon in El Born, we went home for a siesta and then headed out to dinner.  The tapas place we originally planned on going to was closed, but we stumbled upon this AMAZING pizza place called Pizza del Born.  From the outside it just looks like this small pizzeria, but 3 slices and an empanada later, I wanted to move-in and never leave.  Our parents had said this was one of their favorites while they were here, and obviously if it has the blessing of Jeff and Adriana you know it’s good.  AJ was already planning her trip back here for another empanada. Still tired from the night before, we headed back to AJ’s apartment and just chilled for a bit.

Feeling a bit bold, we woke up a little earlier on Wednesday (read: 11:00) and headed to Casa Batillo, an apartment designed by Gaudi on the famous street Passeig de Gracia.  It hard not to spot it as your walking down a street filled with designer stores and upscale hotels and then you see a house with skull like balconies and Gaudi’s signature designs.  The house is about 6 stories and each level is as trippy as the next.  My favorite part was the roof, with yet another spectacular view of the city.  After our tour, we walked about 10 minutes to Gaudi’s other apartment (located on the same street) and just viewed it from the outside.  We then met AJ for some paella on the beach. They served us a huge pan of paella, bottles of wine, and complimentary shots of peach and apple flavored liquor.  We were all feeling very good afterwards and headed back for a much needed siesta.  Later that night the 4 of us went to a bar called Pipperments, known for its excessively large drinks that range from 1 liter servings up to 13 liters.  Because we are stupid and let AJ order for us, we got a 13 liter drink of vodka lemonade. For the 4 of us. I’m not that good at math, but I’m pretty sure that’s about 3 liters a person.  As we tackled our drink, AJ became friends with the owner Jaime. He took waay to many pictures of us, and I am expecting to be their new website cover photo any day now.  Fast forward to closing time, everyone has left, except the 4 idiot American girls who are trying to finish the biggest drink ever created.  The bartenders even gave us to-go cups. But no, we manage to leave the bar successful.

13 liters. And counting.

The next day, AJ left for Dublin and Alison went home, leaving me and Kermit alone in Barcelona.  We went to this tapas place called Cerveceria Catalana. Kermit’s friend Amber had recommended it to us as the best place in the city for tapas.  It had delicious tapas and we had no trouble ordering because everything spoke to us.  Too bad we were so full after lunch that we had to waddle home and sleep it off.  That night we went to the bar L’Ovella Negra (the black sheep) for pitchers of Sangria.  This was definitely one of my favorite bars.  It was basically a cave with a tavern inside.  It was mostly locals and you could get a pitcher of sangria for a very good price.  We made the mistake of sharing a table with some over-friendly guys from Venezuela, who took a liking to Kermit and I.  I got to practice my Spanish, while Kermit got to practice slapping their hands away from her butt.  

Friday we went back to Milk for their recovery brunch.  It’s just too good.  We then headed back over to La Rambla to do some last minute souvenir shopping.  Later we went and bought some snacks from the store and headed to Mont Juic, known for the best view of the city.  We took the gondola up to the top and sat and watched the sunset over the city, while enjoying cheesy bread and avocado.

The next day was St. Patrick’s day and we were ready. Oh were we ready.  We headed back to Milk to get some food in our stomachs before the drinking began.  We spent the day at an Irish bar called Dunnes that we passed earlier that week.  They were streaming the rugby 6 nations games and what better way to celebrate then with drinking Guinness and watching rugby?  We got there fairly early and were able to snag a table in view of the screen.  5 hours later, we are still there and ready for some food.  We grabbed Wok to Walk, asian stir-fry, and head back to AJ’s apartment.  We had an early flight the next morning and had to leave for the airport in a few hours.  We decided not to push our luck and resisted the urge to go back to the bar.  Is this what growing up feels like?

Overall, it was an amazing spring break.  I had so much fun and am so glad that I was able to visit AJ.  THANKS AGAIN FOR AN AWESOME WEEK. You da best, Chloe

Sisters in Barca!

Sorry that was long...Chloe had a lot to say! As for me, I had great trips to Dublin and Valencia which will both be blogged about very soon. I'm officially on La Semana Santa (aka Spring Break) until April 11! Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter/Passover.

Ciao.

Rome Sisters Take on Amsterdam

Chloe and Kermit landed in Barcelona Friday morning around 9 am. They had plenty of time to come back to my apartment drop and drop off their belongings before our flight to Amsterdam. That would have been the ideal situation. Of course, the airline screwed up and put their bags on the flight after theirs. They didn't get their bags until 12 and got to my apartment at 12:45. We planned to leave around 1. It was a very stressful start to the weekend, but it all worked out and all 5 of us (myself, Chloe, Hannah, Kermit & Shannon) made it to the airport on time. We landed in Amsterdam around 4pm that afternoon. Cold and exhausted, all we wanted to do was find our hostel. We stayed at the Flying Pig Hostel Uptown, which is a very popular youth hostel in Amsterdam and one I would definitely recommend! My only complaint: the excessive amounts of stairs. Our room was on the top floor and they don't have any elevators. I wish I had pictures because these stairs were so steep. Other than that, the hostel was fun. It had a great atmosphere and really cool vibe.

The group in Amsterdam!

After we climbed what felt like Mt. Everest we decided to head back down, grab a beer and figure out dinner plans. We headed out to Barney's, a restaurant and coffee shop Kermit & Chloe's friend recommended. We grabbed a cab, showed him the address and were on our way. Everything was going well until after we paid and didn't see the restaurant anywhere. Long story short: The street the taxi took us to was the wrong one. He took us to Hammerstraat and we needed to go to Haarlemmerstraat. This instantly became an on-going joke all weekend. Since we never found Barney's, we instead grabbed dinner around our hostel and visited the coffeeshop, The Dolphins. In case you don't know, going to a coffeeshop in the Netherlands doesn't mean grabbing a cup of coffee. Instead, coffeeshops are known for their cannabis (i.e. weed) because it is legal to sell here. Visiting a coffeeshop was a strange experience, but really fun at the same time. We bought a few things and then headed back to the hostel because Chloe (of course) was "randomly" carded. She didn't have her ID, so the woman working made Chloe, the oldest person in our group, wait outside. Don't worry though, Kermit and Shannon went with her so she wasn't alone.

From Andersen to Amsterdam!

Saturday was a jam packed day. We started our day by visiting the Anne Frank Museum. Since I hadn't read  The Diary of Anne Frank since elementary school I really didn't know how much I remembered or what to expect. Once we began to walk through, it all came right back. In her diary, Anne describes everything spot on: the bookcase, the secret annex, her family, everything. I think this experience touches so many people because after reading her diary you feel connected to this young girl. As if you have some personal connection to her. I'm really glad we had the opportunity to visit this museum. It represents such an important part of history and seems like a small way we were able to pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust.

Sisterly love in front of IAMSTERDAM

After the museum, we needed a little pick-me-up. We grabbed beer & pancakes, which are really more like crepes. We then headed to Amensia, a coffeeshop Hannah's friend recommend to us. I liked this one much more. It had a cool interior and the guy working was extremely helpful and very patient with us. We left Amnesia and headed to see the I AMSTERDAM sign.

Wandered for a little bit, but we managed to find it. Many pictures later, we walked over to Heineken. Here we did the Heineken Experience, which basically is a tour of the Heineken brewery, showing you everything you need to know about Heineken. It was really cheesy, but the two beers included at the end were a nice touch. By the end of the day we were all exhausted. We got a fast dinner and all passed out. We headed back to Barcelona that next morning to meet up with Alison who visited for her spring break!

Ciao.

Visitors in Spain!

After a crazy weekend in the south of France, I returned to Barcelona exhausted and hoping to rest…but that was not an option. Early Monday morning, Hannah, my little sister, arrived in Barcelona to spend her spring break with me! Even though we bump heads a little bit, it was so much fun having her out in Spain. It was a little difficult at times because I would have class some days, but we made it work.

I took her to all my favorite food places, and even some I had never been, but have wanted to try.  We found this local Thai restaurant, called Bangkok Café, literally in god knows where, but it was amazing and so yummy! This past summer she traveled through out Spain with my parents, so she had done most of the touristy things already. Fortunately there were one or two things she had not done. We explored the different areas of Barcelona, like the Gothic quarters and El Born. Monday night I took her to Gaudi’s famous Parc Güell at sunset. The park is situated on a hill that overlooks the entire city. At sunset, the colors glow and light up the city. I’ve been a few times before, but it was a lot more fun getting to do it with Hannah!

That night I took Hannah out for Barcelona’s infamous “Loco Lunes” at Otto Zuts. Wednesday night we went to see Nicky Romero play at the club, Bling Bling. This was my first time at this club and loved it! Thursday night we headed to the club Opium Mar, which is right on the beach. Needless to say, we had a very successful week filled with eating, drinking and dancing. Time flew by and next thing I knew it was already Friday and my other sister, Chloe, and her best friend Megan (a.k.a Kermit) had landed in Barcelona for their spring break.  Before their Barcelona adventures could begin, we were first headed to Amsterdam. That’s right. All three sisters (plus Shannon and Kermit) traveled to Amsterdam and had an unforgettable time! (Amsterdam definitely deserves it’s own post and that will be up later today!) We came back from Amsterdam early Sunday morning because Alison, my best friend from UGA, was visiting for her spring break! Hannah left early Monday morning and it was sad to see her go. We had the best time and I’m so glad she came out to visit! For my next week filled with visitors, Chloe really wanted to “guest blog” and write the post about their week out here so that will be up later today!

I’m blogging like a mad woman trying to catch you all up on my life! I promise during this last month I’ll be sure to keep up with posts.


Ciao for now.

French Riviera: Celebrating Carnival One Last Time

During the first weekend of March, my friends and I bussed 6 hours up to the French Riviera in order to celebrate carnival one last time. We got into Nice early Friday morning. After a much needed nap my friends and I were ready to explore the city. We went on a three hour walking tour of the city. The city is absolutely beautiful. I loved the atmosphere–extremely laid back and easy going. After our tour, we grabbed lunch and some gelato! Then headed on a 30 minute bus ride over to Monaco. Once in Monaco, we walked around and explored the area. We saw the infamous Monte Carlo Casino and then headed back to Nice. 

Saturday morning we walked over to this beautiful waterfall. It was near a park on a hill that overlooked the beach and the city. The view was amazing. It looked like something out of a movie. That afternoon carnival activities began. My friends and I went and watched the flower parade, which reminded me a lot of the Rose Day parade. Each float was intricately made with flowers. The theme of carnival this year was the King of Sport, a reference to the 2012 London Olympics. Because of this, the floats and people in the parade resembled different sports as a way to unify and pay tribute to all the competitions and competitors of the upcoming year! That night there was another celebration — the parade of lights. The float’s in this parade were massive and went through the main streets of Nice. Everyone lined the streets, dressed up as if it were Halloween and partied the night! My friend, Dani, and I both wore neon colored wigs. Even though we looked ridiculous, we had a very fun night!

Wigging out at carnival!

That Sunday we left Nice and headed toward the little beach town of Eze. Once here, we took a tour of Fragonard, a perfumery that still makes their scents through the original process. We spent about an hour or two here, smelling all types of perfumes and colognes. After we grabbed lunch and then headed back to Barcelona!

I've been so busy lately, but I'm going to post soon all about my trips to Amsterdam and Dublin, as well as some adventures I've had through Barcelona!

Ciao.

Morocco: The Land of Henna and Camels

When I decided to study abroad in Spain I only had one place I was absolutely dying to visit…Morocco! It seems a little bizarre to some, but for me, I  knew living in Spain would be one of the few times in my life that Morocco would only be a few hours away. So in the last weekend in February, my friend Erica and I hopped on a plane and flew down to Marrakech, Morocco. 

I went with the program Bus2Alps and I’m so glad I did. They made the trip run so much easier than if I had just gone on my own. They arranged all our transportation, hostel bookings, and extra-activities. I arrived in Marrakech on Thursday night. We were greeted at the hostel with a traditional Moroccan meal, which included salad, rice, vegetable cous-cous, eggplant, massive amounts of bread, and spiced chicken. Everything was so delicious. The spices used on all the food was the best part. Erica and I literally had to force ourselves to stop eating..it was that good!

Friday we were up early. We had a 3-hour guided walking tour of the city. We first stopped at the Ben Youssef Medersa, an Islamic school attached to a mosque, where we saw some incredibly beautiful art and architecture.

After we walked around the Marrakech museum. Next, we enjoyed the Moroccan national drink: mint tea! After tea, we went and toured a local Pharmacy. Unlike pharmacies in the states where you can usually only buy medicine, the ones in Morocco not only sell remedies for ailments, but they sell all types of spices, soaps, and lotions. **A fun fact I learned while I was here: Cumin is the Moroccan form of Imodium!** After a long morning filled with touristy activities, that afternoon we headed about 30 minutes to the mountains where a group of us went canyoning! Canyoning is similar to rock climbing, but instead of climbing up rocks, you repel down them. It was much colder than I expected, but a lot of fun!

Saturday morning the group headed to a local Berber household. The Berber people are the indigenous tribes of Marrakech. At the Berber house, we watched how mint tea is prepared and enjoyed some homemade Moroccan bread and honey. While at the house, one of the daughters was doing henna tattoos. Even though I had gotten one a day before, I of course had to get another!

After checking out the Berber house, the group then headed to ride camels!! This was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Riding a camel has been on my bucket list forever and I’m so happy I can now cross it off! After camel riding, Erica and I decided to explore the Souks of Marrakech. We wandered aimlessly, stopping here and there, looking for nothing in particular. As we walked around, we happened to stumble upon this store with massive amounts of jewelry and I instantly gravitated towards it. Little did I know that this was the same store Sarah Jessica Parker filmed a scene for Sex and the City 2. The owner of the store was so incredibly nice and his son loved to tell Erica and I about all the stars who had been in his father's store. 45 minutes later, I had a handful of things I wanted to buy, but I ended up purchasing a ring for myself and three small Hamsa charms (one for each sister & me). As we were leaving, the store owner called Erica and I back. He reached into a bowl and gave us both a massive Hamsa hand. He told us to keep it with us at all times because it would bring us good luck and protect us from evil. I keep it with me at all times and like to think I have something or someone keeping me safe all the time. After our long day, we headed to dinner where we ate Moroccan BBQ in the center of the town.

All in all, my trip to Morocco was an absolute success! By far one of the coolest trips I’ve been on and one I recommend to anyone who has the opportunity to visit. This country is often overlooked by students studying abroad because it’s not the typical weekend trip, but I hope this post helps people realize this trip is a definite must!

Ciao!

Celebrating Fat Tuesday Right!

Just like in the states where Mardi Gras is an excuse to drink excessively, carnival is yet another excuse to drink excessive amounts of sangria and dress up ridiculously. In Spain, Fat Tuesday marks the beginning of carnival season. Sitges, only about 40 minutes south of Barcelona, is the mecca for the gay community and also the carnival capital. Every year this small town becomes filled with scantily clad tourists and locals from all over ready to dance the night away. Filling the streets, dressed in crazy outfits, Sitges carnival is a once in a lifetime experience and one I can proudly say I participated in. 

Shannon and I ready to celebrate carnival

My roommates and I bussed down to Sitges around 8pm that Tuesday night and we returned Wednesday morning around 4 am! It was such a fun experience, one I'll never forget! If you ever wind up in Spain during carnival season, you must head on over to Sitges and check out carnival! 

It's been WAY to long.

Ah I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've last posted on here. To say that I've been busy is an understatement. Traveling every weekend is definitely keeping me busy. As well as having visitors! Two weeks ago Hannah made it out to Barcelona for her spring break and then that following week Chloe, her best friend Megan, and Alison, one of my best friends from UGA, all came out for their spring breaks! Having visitors was much more stressful than I imagined, but worth it. I loved having all of them visit though! I got to show them around Barcelona, seeing some touristy things and hitting up some local spots. I'm so lucky my sisters we're able to make a trip out to Spain...even if we did bump heads a little bit. We're sisters, so I guess that can only be expected! I just got back from St. Patrick's day weekend in Dublin, so I'm exhausted tired, but don't worry. I'm planning to blog a lot today...posting about all my past trips and the two weeks with all my visitors!

 

Be on the lookout today and tomorrow!

Ciao.