The Other Side of Somewhere

Farmers' Markets, even in the City!

2011-07-12T12:12:00.004-04:00

"That is the most perfect bowl of cherries I have ever seen." My apartmentmate's boyfriend was over for dinner, and I had just brought out dessert. I had just made enchiladas for the first time, to moderate success, and we were all stuffed. But the cherries - Michigan cherries from the 61st St. Farmers' Market - were just too delicious to ignore.I wish I'd gotten a photo of them in their

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T15:43:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter! I made a carrot cake for our Easter brunch (which is happening later this afternoon - brunch hours didn't turn out to be the best for most of my friends, but the menu has stayed the same: strawberry apple crisp, cinnamon raisin bagel bread pudding, asparagus, and bunny cake).For spring break, I went to San Fransisco to visit a couple friends, one from Spain, and one from Deerfield.

7th week, busy as ever!

2011-02-19T22:57:00.003-05:00

Gelato at Cafe Spiaggia...mmmmm. (photo credit: http://www.rachelleb.com/images/2010/03/cafe_spiaggia_gelato.jpg)Life is busy - between spending time with friends, homework, class, going downtown, and dancing (swing, salsa, charleston, lindy, and bachata!) there's hardly any time for cooking. But I make it: life has to keep a balance, and even if I'm about to fall over most of the time, I've been

Buche de Noel!

2011-01-02T17:39:00.002-05:00

The highlight of Christmas break!For Christmas dessert, I made a yule log, aka a buche de noel. Mine was pistachio cake rolled around a chocolate mascarpone filling with a fluffy swiss buttercream and meringue mushrooms! Even though my mother and I don't care that much for meringue kisses, we couldn't stop eating the mushrooms - so the extra 4 dozen or so are not an issue! Recipe will soon be up,

Time Flies!

2010-12-04T12:06:00.002-05:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post - but it is snowing outside right now, which reminded me that fall has gone, and winter has arrived.I've been busy with classes - this upcoming week is final exams! - but I've still made time for exploring Chicago and baking, of course. Last night we celebrated my friend's birthday with macaroni and cheese and a chocolate-caramel-peanut

Busy!

2010-11-08T16:07:00.002-05:00

The capitol at night.Chili!We only saw about 20 minutes of the rally because there was a 2 hour line for metro tickets and we had camped overnight in Maryland...Chocolate gingerbread salted caramel cake for my friend's birthday...Hello - I apologize for the severe lack of posts! Not only have I been busy exploring Chicago, but I've also been exploring the country; two weekends ago I took a road

Almost Midterms

2010-10-15T13:33:00.003-04:00

A view of downtown Chicago from the 96th floor of the John Hancock Building, where there was a reception for first-years during O-week.The first quarter is just flying by, and we have just finished "third week". Already I'm getting busy: I had a paper due for Core Biology today. Our topics had to relate to genes, so I chose the genetics of longevity - proving that in order to live to be a

Classes!

2010-09-28T00:40:00.000-04:00

I'm still alive, but between College Night at the Museum of Science and Industry, free gelato at Istria, student group information meetings, movies in the dorm lounge, speakers, community service, a trip to Wicker Park, my vibraphone audition, and, finally, classes, I've been really busy! My schedule has shaped up to be full of required core classes: core bio, calculus, Language and the Human (a

UChicago

2010-09-18T19:32:00.001-04:00

I'm in Chicago!! Move-in starts tomorrow. :-)

Bread Pudding Tiramisu

2010-09-14T10:01:00.003-04:00

Fall calls for warming, spiced desserts, like this tiramisu bread pudding. The bread pudding itself is soaked with coffee, chocolate, and rum, then sliced and topped with a thick rum mascarpone cream. I better to able to find some cooking alcohol in college, because this dish will definitely be made again. It isn't overly sweet, which is nice - the bittersweet elements of chocolate and coffee

Red Cabbage Tarts with Balsamic Apple Compote

2010-09-13T21:35:00.002-04:00

After seeing the photo on Tastespotting, as often happens, I decided that I just had to make these tartlettes. The head of cabbage begging to be used in the fridge encouraged the decision and I headed to the kitchen. The dough was a dream to work with - I'll definitely use it for any tart or pie in the future. At first bite, the tarts were a bit dry alone...but with too little balsamic vinegar

i heart macarons

2010-09-11T12:50:00.000-04:00

Almondy times chocolatey plus Baileys ganache equals the best macarons I have ever made.Okay, they are the first macarons I've ever made. "Conquering" the quintessential cute French sandwich cookie has been on my list of things to do in life for a while, and I finally had a day and a morning of leisure. So along with some delicious red cabbage tarts (post coming soon!) I decided to try

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

2010-09-02T08:43:00.002-04:00

Pumpkin pie in cupcake form. Warmly spiced and topped with a sweet and cinnamony rum frosting.My first grade teacher made cupcakes into "cupcake sandwiches" but taking off the bottom and putting it on top, with the icing in the middle. I thought it was an ingenius idea......and I still do. A surefire way to get frosting in every bite and not all over your face.Pumpkin Cupcakes and Spiced Rum

Addictive Crackers

2010-09-01T10:02:00.003-04:00

Checking Bittersweet blog as I do daily, I saw the new recipe for vegan cheesy crackers, using a new product: "We Can't Say It's Cheese". I sighed, sure that this was another expensive ingredient I wouldn't find feasible to purchase. Coming home from work that day, however, I found my mother and sister baking potatoes - as a canvas for something they saw at the grocery store: none other than "We

The Sweet Side of Tea

2010-08-26T14:09:00.003-04:00

I am usually opposed to the addition of sweet extras like milk or sugar to hot beverages. Coffee is better black - and to those who disagree, I call you wimps! Tea is best in its virgin state, as it was meant to be enjoyed, chai or other milk teas being the only exceptions.Well, I stand corrected. I made a batch of biscotti, and thought I'd try one with a hot cup of Mayan Cocoa Spice tea. The

Attack of the Cherry Tomatoes

2010-08-24T23:50:00.004-04:00

I went out to the garden, armed with two quart buckets and sandals. We've been getting a drizzly rain almost constantly for the last couple of days, so my usual barefoot approach wasn't going to fly - and never mind the scores of overripe split cherry tomatoes littering the ground! In 5 minutes, I was carrying two overflowing baskets back to the house and pondering what to do with my bounty. I

Cravings for Caramel Corn

2010-08-24T01:21:00.002-04:00

It all started when I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade microwave popcorn. Rather than the $1 per bag most boxed types go for, this used bulk popcorn ($1.39 per pound at Whole Foods) and a brown paper bag. This sounded promising as far as college living goes.Then, also at Whole Foods, I saw a bag of caramel corn. I. Love. Caramel popcorn.I discovered this at a birthday party earlier this year,

Plaid

2010-08-21T11:29:00.003-04:00

I saw it and had to try it: plaid as a new baking trend. Whether in icing or cut out of fruit leathers, it was popping up everywhere and I for one love it. So combining my love for "fancy" cookies with this great decorating idea, I ended up with Plaid Blueberry Linzer Tarts. Okay, they are made with a sugar cookie recipe which is nothing like a true linzer. I take creative license. I apologize

Time Flies

2010-08-20T17:06:00.002-04:00

Wow, I've let two weeks pass without a post...and it's not like I haven't been in the kitchen. My culinary exploits, however, have veered towards the less photogenic and savoury, with Moroccan stew, tortilla española, salsa, and wheatberry salad. I have had a couple of dinner parties - one a cheese sampler, the other with pesto pizza and veggies from the garden. I've had a friend come and stay

Summer Cinnamon Rolls

2010-08-06T22:53:00.002-04:00

"And they even have zucchini in them!" ...cue dumbfounded looks. Technically, I should have said summer squash - that would explain the self-evident lack of green going on. I made these cinnamon rolls for a friend's fundraiser, and broke my own rule of always trying everything before letting other people at it. My nerves rolled into full gear as I saw people carrying around and munching my little

Blackberry Pie

2010-08-03T12:57:00.003-04:00

Last year I found out about a well-kept secret blackberry patch nearby, and yesterday my mother and I headed up, armed with a couple of pint baskets, to pick. At first glance, the harvest looked slim; but we knew that stick-to-it-ive-ness pays off when it comes to small berries, so we kept at it, foraying deeper and deeper into the bramble. We ended up with legs and arms covered in scratches, but

Enough Tomatoes for Homemade Ketchup

2010-08-02T13:09:00.002-04:00

During the last couple of weeks, I have driven about a thousand miles with some of my best friends and my genius sister, I've read a book ("Monsignor Quixote", definitely recommended!), and meanwhile, the front yard garden has grown. The butternut squash has invaded the grass, and the zucchini, and the yellow squash, and the cucumbers, and I'm hoping that it doesn't end up strangling our two

Zucchini Swirl Bread

2010-07-20T16:05:00.005-04:00

Foreword: Don't be intimidated by the length of the recipe!! It is actually very easy and the reason for its length is my verbosity, not difficulty at all!We have become those gardeners overrun with zucchini. But rather than complain, I decided to find some delicious uses for our bounty. (We've also set out a free table, which you can learn more about at my sister's blog,

Hamburger Cupcakes

2010-07-14T21:16:00.004-04:00

Apparently my pumpkin ice cream photos weren't very appetizing, so I apologize to those of you who I turned off by them - hopefully you'll get over my bad lighting and lack of skills and brave the world of frozen pumpkin goodness!These cute little cupcakes (don't worry, they are vegan despite the name!) seemed like perfect bake sale fodder, and although I wasn't able to be present and don't know

Pumpkin Pie...Vegan Ice Cream?

2010-07-13T20:31:00.002-04:00

I was completely unaware of the fact that, somewhere deep in the bowels of our slightly cluttered basement, lay an ice cream maker.I had considered getting myself one as a birthday present (perhaps I could've disguised it as a present for my sister), imagining all the delicious vegan ice cream I could make. Trader Joe's has a good solid chocolate soy ice cream, but just chocolate, even with

Cherry Corn Muffins

2010-07-12T21:44:00.002-04:00

I don't quite know where the recipe ran off to, but I think it came from modifying one of Hannah Kaminsky's in the cookbook My Sweet Vegan. I headed over to the strawberry field about a month ago with the best intentions of picking a quart or two, but the fruit looked sparse and overtaken by weeds - yet another short season, victim to the terrible heat and humidity this year. The only things

Tea Party

2010-07-11T13:28:00.003-04:00

I was in the mood for a wee bit of whimsy. And nothing seemed to have the potential to satisfy that better than a tea party. With summery print dresses and big hats, and typical English tea food of course.Two dilemnas, however, soon presented themselves. First, I have never been to an English tea and hence have no idea what true tea party victuals are. Also, the day turned out to be sweltering,

Indian Food - Waffled

2010-07-06T13:11:00.002-04:00

This is genius.I love my waffle maker. Until now, however, I had only used it to make, well, waffles. Last night, however, during an epic hour of link-following, I found my way from my favorite food-porn site to a site about weird and innovative maps to the Waffleizer. He's decided to find 30 answers to the question, "Will it waffle?" And I'm determined to try as many of them as I can, being

Chocolate, Cinnamon, Blueberries, and Bread

2010-07-01T19:48:00.003-04:00

Another migas recipe - this one for dessert! Taking the Spanish stir-fried bread crumbs in a new direction, subbing blueberries (which don't exist in Aragón at least!) for the grapes and cinnamon for the paprika. Five ingredients, five minutes, and you'll have a flavorful dish in front of you. Use dark chocolate chips and it's vegan.Blueberry Dessert MigasFor two servings:2 slices white bread,

Blueberry Season

2010-06-27T09:48:00.003-04:00

While my dad took measurements to cover the blueberry bushes with netting, I realized that the little blue fruits were already ripe! My father and I quickly began picking into our mouths, but my hands outran my stomach and I brought home about 6 cups of blueberries picked off just a couple bushes. This cake was born.Blueberry-Lemon Bundt Cakegenerous 1 1/2 cups flour1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar1 tsp

Back and Busy!

2010-06-26T18:57:00.003-04:00

Although my blog may evidence that life ended upon my departure from Spain, and although I thought it plausible at the time of my last post, I ended up back in green, lush Western Massachusetts and hit the ground running.Graduation was incredible: starting Friday afternoon, just a couple of hours after touch-down in Boston, it was three days of seeing old friends and teachers. A friend from SYA

So Soon

2010-05-25T09:20:00.000-04:00

Three days. In just a countable number of hours, I will be back in the United States, and this minute of free time as I lie burning up in my bed comes at the end of a crazy couple of weeks. The temperature outside is about 80 degrees, but heat rises and we are on the top floor of our building. Humidity isn’t an issue, but this dry heat is also brutal and surprisingly sudden. However, it will

The Journey to San Martín

2010-05-11T03:58:00.004-04:00

After an hour and a half seated comfortably in the AVE, with a cream-cheese swirl cake snuggled clandestinely into the bottom of my bag, we arrived in Madrid. And the apocalypse began.We got off the train and called my host aunt to see where she was waiting as my host grandfather was assisted by the "Atendo" renfe crew, who helped him into a wheelchair. "Near the taxis," said the host aunt, and

Spring English Class Reflection

2010-05-07T05:46:00.002-04:00

A project for English class that I thought I'd share:Ham: Family Visit My father loves ham. Every day he lunches on a ham and cheese sandwich, and if my mother isn’t home to make it for him, he buys one. Ham is the most prevalent food in Spain, so on the eve of my parents’ arrival, the least of my worries was finding food for my visiting father. “That’s the least of my worries”, however, is a

Weekend Trip - no forms necessary!

2010-05-06T05:55:00.002-04:00

This weekend will be my first time travelling without a parent signature.That's because I'm going to Madrid with my host mother, her parents, and her aunt, and we'll be staying not in Madrid capital but in a small town - a very small town - almost on the Extremaduran border where my host aunt lives.It should be fun, although definitely distinct from any other trip: this one will be filled with

Bulls

2010-05-02T15:51:00.002-04:00

Here I am watching a bullfight on television...who would have thought. The truth, though, is that gruesome s it is, bullfighting is an art. I haven't seen a live one, which must be incredibly different; sitting on a couch and half-watching compared to smelling the blood and seeing the bulls' pain live is very distant. I unfortunately happened to switch to the fight at the worst part, when the

Cádiz Continued

2010-04-30T02:51:00.003-04:00

The view from the roof of my host family’s apartment was incredible, stretching across the bay of Cádiz to the city.Tonight I’ve put on a CD of La Falla, with his “Andalusian Gypsy Scene” El Amor Brujo. Perhaps the fact that it is being played by the London Symphony Orchestra saps some of the Spanishness out of it, because the pieces don’t particularly evoke Spain, and the so-called “jota” would

5 Days in, 15 Days Ago

2010-04-29T05:59:00.000-04:00

This moment is an apt one to begin writing about San Fernando, Cádiz. I apologize for the temporal jump, but with Camerón music playing in the background, his wailing, nostalgic voice has made me miss San Fernando in an inspirational manner. Camerón is a gypsy flamenco singer from San Fernando, the town I stayed in for 6 days, located just 15 minutes from the city of Cádiz. Camerón is so famous

Busy Busy Busy!

2010-04-27T09:19:00.002-04:00

Hello! Spring is in the air and with the warm weather has come a whirlwind of deadlines and things to do...everything from a political science essay to going out for tapas to a violin concert to day trips with my host mother have kept me away from my blog. I'm still alive and well and thinking about posts, but I haven't had time to sit down and write them out lately. I'll do my best to write soon!

Return to Taormina and Climbing Mt. Etna

2010-04-22T05:43:00.004-04:00

Taormina's Greek theatreMercoledi and Thursday (I could never remember Thursday in Italian):After yet another delicious breakfast of almond milk and with orange blossom honey, we drove with our younger host brother to Taormina, where we would spend the day exploring. Our first destination: chasing nostalgia by looking for Heather's old favorite hot chocolate place. Next stop: a mid-morning snack.

More About Sicily: A (Hopefully) Condensed Version

2010-04-21T04:21:00.002-04:00

Lunedí, Martedí:On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the Recupero family was busy at work and school, leaving Heather and I on our own to explore the town of Acireale. Heather already knew it well and directed us on Monday and Tuesday mornings to the scogli, a rock beach bathed by the sun. We climbed over them and past a lone fisherman to find flattish rocks for stretching ourselves out on to enjoy

Back from San Fernando; Sicily, Belated

2010-04-20T02:43:00.001-04:00

I just got back from San Fernando, a small city of 90,000 where I spent 5 days with a Spanish host family. Leaving was incredibly sad, but it turned out to be a good thing that I left when I did – I woke up the morning after my midnight-arrival in Zaragoza to find that I had picked up a stomach bug somewhere, and I was definitely glad to be at my relative home to deal with it. Although looking at

Familia en Cádiz

2010-04-14T03:58:00.000-04:00

After a long absence, I am back on and writing from yet another new location: San Fernando, a town in Cádiz, the very southern tip of Spain. We have a beach touching the Atlantic Ocean and the city of Cádiz right across the bay, and I have a new host family for the week: a girl my age, her older brother, and their parents. Everyone in the school has gone to different places in Spain until Sunday

Back in Zaz (and with a suntan to boot!)

2010-04-08T05:43:00.001-04:00

As I realized that my favorite blog - Hannah Kaminsky's Bittersweet - had crept above my own in my browser's site list, I realized that it was about time I posted something. I don't have too much time before class starts, so here is a super-condensed preview of what is to come when I find time (which about now looks as likely as discovering 100 euros on the street). Sicily was incredible. Even

Sicily and Barcelona

2010-03-26T05:38:00.002-04:00

Spring break starts after my last class today, and after a usual exciting Friday of violin practice, vegetarian cooking class, and tapas with friends, I'm taking off early tomorrow morning for Catania, Sicily, with my friend who lived there for three years, to stay with family friends of hers. After six days at the toe of the boot, we are going to meet my parents in Barcelona for Easter.In

Lyon, Continued

2010-03-25T06:56:00.002-04:00

After our first night in the glass-walled albergue, we walked down the hill and across the two rivers the next day to arrive at the Center of Resistance and Deportation. The museum-college-community building combines a detailed and well-done museum to the victims of the Vichy (Nazi collaboration in France) regime and

Cinco Días en le France

2010-03-24T05:13:00.002-04:00

I hit the ground running after coming back from the conference in Lyon, and haven't had time to write about it yet. In addition I've been experiencing serious laptop issues (apparently 3 1/2 years puts it into the elderly category), but luckily I can update from any computer.We took a train to Barcelona and a plane to Lyon and arrived safe and sound in France on Wednesday afternoon. After a bus

A Weekend in Zaragoza, Home Sweet Home

2010-03-16T03:50:00.000-04:00

Nurturing vain fantasies of an audience waiting on the edge of their seats for each blog entry, I will apologize for being absent these last couple of days. I didn’t do anything particularly exciting or interesting this weekend, but I did manage to keep myself busy here in Zaragoza. On Friday, I had my busy afternoon of usual: practice violin (since the school is closed on the weekends, Friday is

Fotos y Final

2010-03-11T05:21:00.004-05:00

Tarta de Santiago, made by nuns and the most delicious ever.Grass! A park!Gothic church, part of the Museo do Pobo GalegoStairs worn by centuries of pilgrims in the Cathedral. They lead to a statue of Santiago which the devout hug from behind.A cityscape of Santiago. You can see the cathedral and also a couple of glassed-in balconies, really typical of Galician residential architecture.The main

Santiago y La Coruña

2010-03-10T13:54:00.000-05:00

We disembarked in A Coruña around noon and decided to kill the two hours until lunch wandering around the old part of the city. A couple of expositions caught our eye, so we meandered through a lovely building with an exhibition celebrating the Day of the Woman (it was Monday) and an aptly temporary structure detailing the history and cultural influence of the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage

Trenhotel Ida

2010-03-09T04:41:00.002-05:00

“Perdón, I have to go. I need to catch a train,” I excused myself from band rehearsal at 9:45 on Thursday night. I had arranged to meet my two friends in the train station at 10:15 to catch our 11 o’clock (this is 23:00, or p.m.) train-hotel to Galicia. The rehearsal had passed splendidly: first off, my violin teacher had said that I was improving, and then during the group practice, we received

Galicia

2010-03-04T06:01:00.002-05:00

Tonight I leave for Galicia on the trenhotel - "Train Hotel". After an overnight ride across Spain to the Atlantic Coast, we will arrive in Galicia, the westernmost Spanish autonomous community perched right above Portugal.Galicia's location within Spain The city we're staying in, Santiago de Compostela, is the famous final destination of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage trail from southern

Happenings

2010-03-03T10:04:00.002-05:00

My typical day here in Zaragoza has drastically changed since I began taking violin lessons. I now try to practice at least half an hour every day, plus on Thursdays I have my lesson and rehearsal with the group until 10! That isn't to say that I don't have time for other things...in fact, I seem to have lots of free time to skype with my parents and experience Zaragoza.Last night I went to an

Back from the Capital

2010-03-01T13:04:00.000-05:00

Our weekend in the Santa Ana barrio of Madrid was three days of good food and great art. Between bites of spinach pie, seitan curry, vegetable croquettes, mushroom and oat balls, apple cheese onion bake, rye bread, cream cheese stuffed jalapeños, chips with guacamole, zucchini with goat cheese, stuffed shitakes, whipped cream cheese with chocolate and sprinkled with coconut, vegetarian burgers,

Madrid!

2010-02-26T03:25:00.001-05:00

I am going on a quick trip to Madrid this weekend, for an art project that requires going to the Prado and the Reina Sofia. Hasta lunes!

Figueruelas: My European Debut

2010-02-24T04:08:00.004-05:00

The Siervas de María convent is located in this unassuming little church on one of Zaragoza's busiest commercial streets!A wonderful weekend started, like all weekends, on Friday, when I met up with Jenny and caught the bus to Miralbueno for our weekly gastronomical adventure, vegetarian cooking class. This week we made a garbanzo and spinach soup (it lacked a bit of flavor, but that is easily

Córdoba: A Pleasant Surprise

2010-02-22T02:43:00.005-05:00

At first sight, Córdoba was a bit disappointing. (Side note: Spanish accents mark where the emphasis falls in the word; hence, Córdoba is COOR-doe-bah.) Although there was a great mudéjar medical college building next door, the other edifices surrounding our hotel were tall and nondescript office and residential types. However, a quick 10 minutes walk across a park and down a boulevard led to

Úbeda y Baeza: Tierra de Olivos

2010-02-20T12:25:00.005-05:00

“Qué nunca visites a Jaén; no hay nada en Jaén.” That was the recomendation of the girls we met in Sevilla: Don’t go to Jaen, the easternmost province of Andalucía, because there is absolutely nothing there. True, movie theaters, restaurants, bars, and parks for botelloning were lacking, but Jaen is filled to the brim with olive trees, small quintessential Spanish towns, and renaissance

Granada: Huellas Árabes (es decir, Chock Full of Teterías!!)

2010-02-19T04:02:00.005-05:00

Our stay at Granada was sadly short. We only passed one full day in this city, which I think I would never tire of, and which I will try to describe more with photos than with words. Walking just a bit past the end of the wide Gran Vía, where our hotel was located, we found a delicious vegetarian restaurant far from the beaten tourist path. The menú del día was under our school allowance, so I

Sevilla: Catedral y Amigas Españolas

2010-02-17T04:02:00.006-05:00

La Giralda, the tower outside the Catedral de Sevilla. Rather than stairs, the top is reached by ramp, built by the Arabs so that the muezzen, the man who calls the faithful to prayer, could reach the top quickly on horseback.A view from the Patio of Orange Trees in the Sevillan Cathedral.Looking down on the Patio de Naranjos from the top of La Giralda.Our first full day in Sevilla was filled to

First Stop: Sevilla

2010-02-16T04:49:00.004-05:00

The 1929 Plaza de EspañaUsually the travel part of trips is hardly worth mentioning, but in Spain on the AVE, it becomes definitely noteworthy. Broken into groups of six for ticket distribution, my posse ended up with a section of seats in the very back of the train - on the other side of the last door, and hence separated by a sliding door. Delighted with our little table and the opportunity to

Back from Andalucía

2010-02-13T12:36:00.000-05:00

It was a wonderful week filled with great friends, good food, and lovely sights. Look forward to some photos soon!

Happenings in Zaragoza

2010-02-05T05:47:00.003-05:00

Torre de San Gil AbadLa SeoThis church on Coso...Detail of La SeoTorre de San Gil AbadThese are all some towers we saw on a recent Art History class excursion. They are all in the "mudéjar" style, which means they were built by Arabic craftsmen under Cristian rule in the 11th, 12th, and 13th century, roughly.Switching cultures, on Thursday I did a one-day exchange at a trilingual school here in

Back in Business in San Sebastian

2010-02-02T09:15:00.002-05:00

The view from our hotel room in Biarritz.A lovely little bridge in Biarritz, and a woman taking advantage of the definite resemblance to that romantic Titanic scene...A seaside overlook in Biarritz, looking out over the Bay of Biscay, the same waters that crash against the Boston beaches...What a relief when Eliza arrived and communication was once again possible!But an even better feeling (

An Afternoon Alone en français

2010-02-01T12:27:00.004-05:00

A coastal church in Biarritz...3.5 hours to go until Eliza arrives. I was expecting the Biarritz train station to be suitable for a few hours of waiting - but it is bitterly ocld, and the attached bar is already closed at 8:55 (definitely not in Spain anymore!!). I decided to wander down the street to an open café for some hot coffee, a warm place to sit, and a bathroom (which I thought was

País Vasco, Aúnque Sea Francia

2010-01-28T11:19:00.002-05:00

This weekend I am heading back to the Basque Country to the north. But this time, rather than visit San Sebastian and its southwestern neighbor Bilbao, I'm heading across the border to Biarritz in France for a night! Part of an elaborate and slightly ridiculous plan to spend about 30 hours with my friend from Deerfield doing SYA France this year, I'll get to spend an afternoon alone in France

Just Another Weekend Continued

2010-01-27T02:45:00.002-05:00

Two Spanish purchases thanks to "rebajas" (annual January sales): purple and green plaid shirt, plus a belt from Stradivarious.The next morning, I set out to continue working on my journalism report on the nuns of Zaragoza, this time visiting the Missionaries of the Eucharist, who live in a small monastery attached to a church next to Pilar. What a history (deserving of another post, although if

Just Another Weekend

2010-01-26T02:54:00.003-05:00

Showing off some of my new Spanish purchases and gifts! The shoes were for tango class, which has ended. The sweater and bag were Christmas gifts from my host family. Thank you!!!To give you a vague idea of an average weekend here in Zaragoza… On Friday, we headed straight to Montessori for lunch. Montessori is a Spanish private school whose cafeteria we dine in…well, dine might be too

Luces de Bohemia y Violin

2010-01-22T04:14:00.004-05:00

The cast of Luces de Bohemia, a Teatro del Templo produccionWhat a crazy couple of days! I'm finally getting almost as busy as I was at Deerfield.On Wednesday, I had a normal school day until 5:15. I stayed after for a little bit to chat with my English teacher about my Altas Shrugged essay, but then hurried to the Escuela Popular de Música where I'm taking violins. I'm using the school's violin

The Nuns Near the Corte Inglés

2010-01-18T09:12:00.004-05:00

I had never seen a nun before arriving in Zaragoza. The extent of my knowledge was gleaned from the blasphemous Almodóvar movie Dark Habits and the ever-classic Sound of Music. When I went to interview the Siervas de María for my journalism class, I didn't expect the nuns to burst into song in response to my questions, but I didn't really have any idea of what would happen.I had worked up the

MACBA

2010-01-14T05:57:00.006-05:00

While in Barcelona, we visited the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona. I wasn't a huge fan, but there were some good works..."Hypergraphies Polylogue", Isidore Isou"Sense Títol", Pablo Palazuelo"100 boots", Eleanor Antin"Gagarine se tue en avion", Gil J Wolman"El número y las aguas", Pablo Palazuelo

Parc Güell

2010-01-13T05:46:00.004-05:00

The fish sculpture designed by Frank Gehry along the Mediterranean coast of Barcelona.I realized that I never posted photos of the gorgeous Parc Güell, designed by Gaudí, in Barcelona, nor from our walk along the beach. Although they are now a bit old, I don't think that the Parc Güell could ever become outdated!Another sculpture along the beach.One of the many sand sculptures we encountered

Letters from Home

2010-01-12T04:15:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I received a letter from my grandmother. (Thank you!!!) Her questions have inspired a blog post.Our terrace (with Pilar in the background) and the thin blanket of snow. (Taken before Christmas break)Zaragoza does not really get snow. Occasionally - twice - it has snowed those big, heavy, fat flakes that are usually followed by rain and washed away.The palm tree in the main entrance to

Valencia!!!

2010-01-11T10:45:00.003-05:00

It rained and the museum was closed, but we had to go see la Ciudat d'Ciencia i Bellas Artes, a new complex of a science museum, auditorium, aquarium, and IMAX a good walk south of the old part of Valencia. We took a bus back!!The heaviest bell in Spain and Portugal, located on top of the Miguelete Tower of the Cathedral of Valencia.View of one of Valencia's many pretty plazas and fountains from

Colegio Otra Vez

2010-01-07T05:31:00.002-05:00

After a lovely Christmas break with trips to Barcelona and Valencia, host family meals, and lots of pages of Atlas Shrugged, I'm excited to be back in school and to see everyone again. Valencia was wonderful! We tried its famous horchata (tiger nut milk) with fartones (light pastries) in the oldest horchatería in the city, saw the left (or is it the right?) arm of San Vicente de Paúl, climbed El

Being a Pendón

2010-01-02T02:38:00.001-05:00

Off to Valencia...Spain's 3rd-largest city and 4 hours southeast by bus. Wish me good weather!!

Sunday: El Fin

2010-01-01T12:04:00.000-05:00

A trip to Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without seeing Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia cathedral. Construction began in 1882. The first architect was replaced with Gaudí in 1883, who ended up devoting the rest of his life to the cathedral. Thanks to a generous donation, Gaudí was able to completely change the original plans for the cathedral and leave his indelible mark on its plans. The building is

St. Stephen's Day: that's right, another Christmas holiday

2009-12-31T12:29:00.001-05:00

Another day without much of anything open. However, we called a few museums and found out that the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona would indeed be open in the morning. Although Heather and I doubted the art status of many of the exhibits, a few pieces were good, and we ran into another SYA girl and her family to laugh over the ludicrous “art” with. Heather’s parents had gone to see

Christmas Day: Gargoyles and Parc Güell

2009-12-30T05:20:00.005-05:00

As soon as I woke up and showered, I headed to the kitchen to check on my pancake batter. It looked great; I stirred in the remaining two eggs and salt and found a cast-iron skillet. Due to our lack of maple syrup but an abundance of bananas, I put some bananas in a saucepan with cinnamon to make a bit of a fruit topping for the pancakes. I think everyone liked them – at least I did, and there

Christmas Eve: Encantada de la Vida

2009-12-29T14:14:00.003-05:00

The view from the organist's balcony. The ceiling of the cathedral. A "merry Christmas" message - and the typical noodles - projected onto an Ayuntament building.That Spanish expression, which literally means “enchanted of life” or “charmed by life”, is pretty much the only way to describe my emotion upon entering George’s apartment. Heather’s parents had managed to end up staying there due to a

Back in Zaragoza

2009-12-28T07:46:00.002-05:00

Barcelona was absolutely incredible.More later!

Navidad Comings and Goings

2009-12-23T05:16:00.002-05:00

A quick update on my plans for Christmas...Since the actual Christmas day isn't a very big deal here, I'm going to spend it in Barcelona with a friend and her parents. Exciting!!I'll be back in Zaragoza for New Years, and then off again to Valencia with a friend. More excitement!!Now off to eat some more turrón and meet some more parents - today is the school's open house day!

Feliz Navidad!

2009-12-22T06:27:00.003-05:00

During a Sunday walk on a crisp fall day.The Stone Bridge (Puente de Piedra) over the RíoEbro and the Basilica del Pilar are in the background.1.325 m3 de soil800 m2 of soil for plants300 m2 of lawn10m3 river rock to decorate500 m2 of flat stone for walkways and floors of scenery8 m3 of gravel for the stream30 m3 of sand150 m2 of water What does it all add up to? Well, throw in a few lifesize

Tapas Zaragozanas

2009-12-21T06:06:00.002-05:00

The moment I took the first bite of a delicious tapa in the País Vasco, I stopped missing home and began loving Spain. It was also the ambiance: a crowded bilingual café - or better said, bar - with a great friend on independent travel, tucked into a narrow European street with Christmas lights hung above our heads.So when I began to realize that on my very own street here in Zaragoza one could

Exam Week! or...Gingerbread!

2009-12-18T04:40:00.002-05:00

Exam week in Zaragoza - which should mean studying, but instead means multitudes of productive procrastination! For example, on Tuesday, due to a strange review schedule, I only had one class. My Spanish exam was the following day. Rather than go home and "hincar los codos" (hit the elbows, or "study"), Cynthia and I went to the travel agency around to corner to book some bus tickets to Valencia,

Bilbao, Day 5

2009-12-17T04:26:00.005-05:00

The Matter of Time, a huge sculpture by Richard Serra. Since his sculpture is on such a grand scale, in an interview he was asked if he'd ever considered architecture as a career. "No," he replied, "I prefer not to have to think about plumbing."First, a sampling of my some of my favorite works in the Guggenheim…Vaca Amarilla, by Franz MarcJac Lernier had a room dedicated to his found-object

Bilbao, Day 4

2009-12-16T03:54:00.004-05:00

As we brushed our teeth in the albergue bathroom designated by a bat with miniscule wings and equilaterally-triangular fangs, we assigned ourselves missions: for me, a black sweater, and for Heather, a black oxford. The center of Bilbao – walk to the Guggenheim and take a right – is filled with shops. After browsing a few others, Heather found the perfect shirt in H&M, and while there we were of

Bilbao, Day 3

2009-12-15T04:19:00.002-05:00

Our bus to Bilbao left at 11:15, so between showers, talking with our roommates and the people we’d met the night before around the breakfast table, and buying some fruit and a pastry to augment the albergue’s morning offerings, we didn’t have too much extra time to get to the station. Our roommates were also headed to Bilbao, and happened to even be on the same bus, so we didn’t have to find our

San Sebastian or Donostia?

2009-12-14T09:49:00.003-05:00

The País Vasco is a part of Spain with a rich and unique history, which has given birth to a distinct politic today. The first inhabitants of what is now the País Vasco (Basque Country) were the Celtíberos. The Romans then proceeded to conquer the Iberian Peninsula, but their main settlements were on the Mediterranean and bordering the rivers which flowed into it – Zaragoza, for example. The

San Sebastian, Day 2

2009-12-13T08:38:00.001-05:00

After a good night’s sleep, we stumbled into the kitchen to see what the albergue’s breakfast offerings were like. We filled ourselves up on toast and chocolate rice krispies, donned running clothes, and went for a jog. Heather, being an intense and very good runner, decided to run the entire Concha. Fazed by the fact that I hadn’t put on my sneakers more than 3 times since arriving in Spain, I

San Sebastian, Day 1

2009-12-12T12:06:00.002-05:00

At three o’clock last Friday afternoon, I called Heather. “I’m almost there,” I said urgently, as the first glimpse of the station came into view around the corner. “I’m on the autobus.” I hung up and peered anxiously out the window. Our bus to San Sebastian left in 15 minutes, and I hadn’t yet reached Estación Delicias, Zaragoza’s train and bus terminal. I had the tickets, folded neatly in a “

Happenings

2009-12-02T05:53:00.000-05:00

I have been horrible about keeping up with posts, so here is a quick debreifing on some important happenings.I have begun tutoring a 13-year-old boy in English twice a week. Like all things, this has its ups (being paid in euros) and downs (preparing lessons), but in general has been a good experience.This weekend, I'm travelling with a friend to San Sebastian and Bilbao. We have Monday and

Madrid: Lunes 9 hasta Viernes 13 | Friday

2009-11-24T07:48:00.001-05:00

How sad to wake up on the last day with the heavy knowledge of departure! We dragged our feet walking down to breakfast, but picked up the pace a little bit after one last visit to Starbucks. Our final visit was to the Palacio Real, a huge palace where the king of Spain still resides occasionally but now mainly used to host guests and ceremonies. The tour only covered about 8 of the thousands of

Museo Reina Sofía: Favorites

2009-11-20T03:42:00.003-05:00

"Siurana" por Joan Miró"Mujer con Abanico" por Laurens"La Ventana Abierta" por Juan Gris"Guernica" por Pablo Picasso(Guernica is a city in Spain that was bombed during the Civil War, resulting in complete destruction and the deaths of many innocent people. Picasso has a lot of works about war, and they all do a wonderful job of showing the terror and destruction.)"Grito Nº 7" por Antonio

Madrid: Lunes 9 hasta Viernes 13 | Thursday

2009-11-20T03:22:00.001-05:00

Luckily the Senate building was close enough to the hotel that we could walk. It was our first stop on Thursday morning, and the fresh air woke us up. In Spanish, the word for government, “gobierno”, doesn’t refer to the entire political body that governs the nation, but only the executive branch, consisting of the President (chosen from the senate by the senate) and his ministers (what we might

My Favorites: El Prado

2009-11-19T05:52:00.006-05:00

"Jardín de las Delicias", by El Bosco"Reclining Woman", by Raimundo de Madrazo"La Vereda" by Carlos de Haes (all his landscapes are great!)Fantasy Sobre Fausto, by Mariano Fortuny

Madrid: Lunes 9 hasta Viernes 13 | Wednesday Part II

2009-11-19T05:12:00.005-05:00

With the free time after visiting the Tribunal Supremo, I headed off with a classmate to go to the Prado, Spain’s (arguably) most famous museum. El Prado houses such masterpieces as Velázquez’s “Las meninas” (which adorns the cover of our art history book), Goya’s “El 3 de Mayo de 1808 en Madrid” (the cover image of one of our history books), El Bosco’s “El Jardín de las delicias” (a print of

Madrid: Lunes 9 hasta Viernes 13 | Wednesday Part 1

2009-11-17T04:53:00.001-05:00

After another breakfast at the hotel of croissants, cheese, and yogurt and honey, and a quick stop at Starbucks (I, however, managed to resist shelling out another $6 for chai!), we walked to the Palacio de la Justicia, where the Tribunal Supremo – the Spanish equivalent of the Spanish Supreme Court – is located. The building, a monastery converted to a court when the Republic confiscated all the

Madrid: Lunes 9 hasta Viernes 13 | Tuesday

2009-11-16T09:22:00.003-05:00

Toledo is a historic city in the autonomous community of Castilla La Mancha, and only a 30-minute AVE ride from Madrid. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to visit! We returned to the train station and arrived at the gorgeous neo-mudéjar station in Toledo an incredibly short ride later. We boarded a small tourist bus and ascended the road to the center of the city, separated by a river (which by

Madrid: Lunes 09 hasta Viernes 13 | Monday

2009-11-14T07:05:00.000-05:00

MondayÁngeles told me she’d pick me up at my apartment around 8:15, so when she arrived at 8:05 I was still deciding whether or not to bring another pair of shoes. My journalism teacher lives close by, so I was getting a ride with her to the train station. In just a few hours, we’d arrive in Madrid on the high-velocity trains – the AVE (an acronym for “Alta Velocidad España” and also the word for