Zaragoza, Spain: Who knew that Zaragoza = Caesaragusta???

Synopsis:
I've had quite some success with people visiting me in Spain, so far: Guillermo, my parents, and now Staša. We decide to go visit a city that I haven't been to, that is also convenient for her to fly to, so we pick Zaragoza. The Linzoain's will go with us the first day, and then Staša and I will explore the city for a few more days.

Trip Overview:

Day 1:Wake up, eat a deliciously prepared breakfast made by yours truly, and head out with the Linzoain's, 90 minutes by car, to Zaragoza. As we are driving we notice the shift in weather from rainy Navarra to sunny Aragón. Staša is already in the city center of Zaragoza, so we meet her at Plaza del Pilar. We have a coffee and chat before taking photos outside and then entering the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. Inside is quite large and we arrive just as mass is beginning. After leaving there we go to La Seo del Salvador but it is closed. We walk over to the Roman stone bridge, over El Ebro river, which is very windy.

We can't go to Palacio de la Aljaferia because it's closed, so the Linzoain's decide to head back to Pamplona and Staša and I go off into the city. We end up at a tapas restaurant, La Pilara, which happens to be in the renown "El Tubo" district. Head to the hotel, Hotel Avenida, to drop off our stuff and head back out to the city. We snap photos and walk along a new route. We stop at a quaint cafe, La Bendita, that is actually pretty crowded, despite it being siesta time. 

We walk around some more and find ourselves back at Plaza del Pilar with an amazingly lit up Basilica. Stop at a tapas restaurant on the plaza, Piazza, with pretty good tapas, and quite cheap.


The hotel has some awesomely thin walls, so the people in the hall and other rooms who come in late and make various disturbing noises, are very clearly heard.

Thoughts:Quite a lot of people out and about for a Sunday, especially since all the stores are closed. Barbershop and salons around the city are open and crowded. Murals and graffiti (street art) are everywhere and really good. Africans selling stuff. Ridiculously windy all day.

The whole group ready to explore the city

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14 Random Things This American Notices About Spain and Europe

I am learning something new everyday here in Navarra; usually it's a new Spanish word that I immediately forget or the name of someone I've just met. My brain is always working, whether actively to help me reach my goals, or passively causing me to zone out in Spanish class and think about unrelated things. Whenever I think of something, I write it down so I don't forget it. Well, if you do that enough, you end up with a list of random things that you decide to share with people via a blog. Here's that list:

Spain related things

1. I have no idea why (and if anyone wants to chime in and explain, please do) but Spanish gas stations have plastic gloves for use while pumping gas. I have not seen this outside of Spain and I have never used the gloves.

2. It seems it is taught in Spain that there are only 6 continents. North and South America are not individual continents because the are connected, unlike Europe and Asia... I also learned that in the past, people were taught there were only 5 continents (hence 5 Olympic rings) as Antartica is just a block of ice and not land. I'm sure there were some offended penguins somewhere.

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17 Interesting Things This American Has Learned About the Spanish Language

Since I've been in Navarra a little over two months now, I am basically fluent in Spanish, as I know about 1.78% of the common words; but I know them really well. You will never hear anyone say 'hoe-lah' (hello) and 'ah-dee-yo-ss' (goodbye) as fluently as me! But, on my quest to learn the language, I have found some interesting things that really don't make sense in, or have no relation to, the English (or French) language. I'm sure a lot of these are specific to Navarra, but maybe some apply to Spanish in general. Most of these are not so much grammatical, but rather the manner in which the Spanish speak. Of course, some of the grammar is interesting too... Behold, the 17 most interesting things that I have learned thus far.

Check out part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8

1. Whenever you see M^a written, it means Maria. 

You KNOW why this picture is here :-P

2. Molestar means "to bother". You could imagine my surprise when I first heard kids talking about being "molested" by their parents and other kids. 

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15 Interesting Foods This American Has Had While Eating in Navarra

My first two weeks here I could tell I was gaining weight. I couldn't help it since I had to try every new food that I saw and everyone around me was enabling this behavior. Now, I have finally realized that I will be here for a year and I can take my time trying all the new foods. So, until I go out and try more new foods, I will share the 15 most interesting foods I've tried while living in Navarra.

1. Pintxos - So this is a pretty broad category of foods that many below fall into, but pintxos is the word used in Navarra and Pais Vasco for tapas which are small dishes, usually served at a bar. There are so many kinds and very few that I haven't liked. I had the opportunity to enjoy the Semana del Pincho de Navarra.

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First 10 Things This American Had to Get Used to in Navarra, Spain

Now that I've been living in Spain for over a month, I can finally comment on my environment and how I have been assimilating. It's been a great experience and I am learning so much. There are some things that I knew, from living in Germany and Belgium, that are specific to Europe and not in the U.S.; and now there are a bunch of new things that I have only encountered in Spain, specifically, the Navarra region. Here are 10 things that I had to get used to while living here.

1. Five meals a day, all with names

I like to eat just as much as the next American, but we only have names for three meals, and the rest are just snacks.  The interesting part is not that the Spanish eat five meals a day, but that each meal has a name.

-8:00am - desayuno - breakfast, magdalenas and coffee, or cereal, or yogurt and fruit.
-11:00am - almuerzo - a snack, a small sandwich or some fruit.
-2:00pm - comida - lunch is typically a large meal, and of course, followed by a siesta.
-6:00pm - merienda - an afternoon snack similar to almuerzo, possibly some tapas.
-9:00pm - cena - dinnertime, a large meal (same or smaller than comida) before relaxing and then going to bed.

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Battle of the Kitchens: España vs. USA

Now that I've lived here for over a month, I have raided Virginia's refrigerator enough times to know the differences in the staples that she keeps versus what I would normally have in my fridge. Some things are wonderful new additions that I will likely incorporate in my fridge, and others will stay in her repertoire only. I am beginning to understand that Virginia's fridge is not your typical Spanish fridge, since Maria Asun's fridge is more similar to mine. Here is the showdown and the 12 differences of Virginia's kitchen vs. Mine.

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Forget Santa, the Three Kings are Coming to Town

Synopsis: So I had been hearing quite a bit about Three Kings Day, here in Spain, and not really understanding what it entailed. I knew the three kings were the three wise men from the Bible, and that was about all I knew of the tradition. I didn't realize there was an entire two-day tradition that went along with the celebration. But, I am always ready to find out, which is exactly what I did.

Night of January 5
We bundle up to go watch the cabalgata de los tres reyes, or parade of the Three Kings. When we arrive, there are already hordes of people lining both sides of the street for about 750m. There are drummers and bands playing music when we arrive, as well as different organizations, dressed in costumes, marching along the street. There are flag twirlers from Italy who are really good, doing tricks with their flags. Then, we hear a loud boom, and a one-minute fireworks display can be seen in the sky.

The parade continues, as real camels pass by, followed by the first float, which has a man and woman on it directing the chants of the children, who call out "Melchor, Gaspar, Baltasar", the names of the three kings. The first king, Melchor shows up on a giant turtle. He and his helpers are throwing candy into the crowd. Next is Gaspar, who is on a giant swan, and he and his helpers are also throwing out candy. The last king, Baltasar, has a float with a giant jaguar, but he is not on top, but rather on the street and greeting people up close and personal. His float is followed by fire twirlers, firefighters, and the end of the parade.

Then to dinner with Emilio's family around 9:30pm. I get to meet his parents, a lovely Peruvian woman and a well-versed-in-life Spanish man, both of whom are very friendly. Also, two of his sisters and their husbands and children attend. One big happy family. We eat dinner around 10:30pm. This is followed by roscón, a gigantic donut with cream filling, fruit on top, with a king inside - for the person who will have great luck for the year, and a bean inside - for the person who has to buy next year's roscón. We follow up a great meal with a very-typical-to-Navarra drink of Basarana, a sweet liquor. After lots of great conversation and food, we head home.

Before we go to bed, I am instructed to leave my shoes under the tree so one of the three kings can fill them with gifts. I wish I had bigger shoes.

Thoughts: It's worth mentioning, like the interesting holiday tradition with Zwarte Pete in Holland, Baltasar in the parade was a white man with black face paint on, since Baltasar was from Arabia or Northern Africa, and I guess they couldn't find a black guy to be in the parade. His helpers were also in black face, men and women.

I didn't even know the name of the three kings. Part of the tradition was explained to me, that you write a letter to your favorite king and ask for what you want them to bring you, and on January 6, it may be in your shoes that you left under the tree. Also, other people can write on your behalf.

The legions of people lined up for the parade

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A Day in San Sebastián

Synopsis: Take a day trip with the Linzoain's to San Sebastián, about an hour drive from Zuasti, where we live. 

Trip: Drive up into Basque country (Euskadi) through the mountains. It is a beautiful sunny day. San Sebastián is on the sea, so we can see the water as we drive downtown in the city. It's Saturday, it's really crowded, and all the parking garages are full. While driving around looking for a parking space, we see almost half of the city. Emilio is like a tour guide and knows everything about the city. He points out the Maria Cristina hotel, where celebrities stay for the festival de San Sebastián (a film festival like Cannes). 

After finding parking, we walk along the pier with an excellent view of the bay and the island in the middle of the bay. It's time for la comida, so we go to three different pintxos bars. At the bars you are supposed to throw your trash (toothpicks and napkins) on the floor, under the bar. I try all kinds of foods that are typical to the area, and I don't ask what any of it is until after I finish it. All the food I try, I like. After, we head to Constitution Square, where we have a coffee. 

From there, we walk along La Concha beach, named so because it is shaped like a shell (concha). We go back onto the boardwalk after passing La Perla, a royal summer house in the early 1900's, and now a public gym, spa, restaurant, and cafe, overlooking the beach. There, we have hot drinks while watching the sunset on the sea, capping off a great day.

"Selfi" is the word of the year in Spain for 2014. We are perpetuating its popularity here in front of the town hall and Monte Urgull 

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Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid, Spain: New Years 2015

Synopsis: Fresh off eating lots of Spanish food for the Christmas holidays, we hit the road again, this time headed to Lisbon, Portugal, before we celebrate New year's in Madrid, Spain.

Just a short drive

Trip Overview:

Day 1: Head out around midday after my parents say goodbye to Virginia and the boys. We said goodbye to Leo the night before since he had to wake up to go to work today. We make good time to Salamanca, listening to the Pentatonix. I didn't realize driving west meant having the sun blind you the whole time - thank God for sunglasses. There is absolutely no one else on the road, on either side of the highway, which makes it easier to disregard the speed limit. As soon as we cross into Portugal, we are suddenly overcome by intense fog.

When entering Portugal on the via verde, you have to use your Visa/Mastercard to register at the first toll, which simply takes a picture of your license plate and then bills your credit card directly, instead of you stopping to pay tolls.

Once we get to downtown, we drive around the block a few times and perform several illegal maneuvers before we find our hotel. As soon as we check-in, we leave the hotel to go to the pharmacy, and now my GPS is officially fired. She (because it's a female voice) has us all over the city and lost. And this isn't the first time on this trip. After we find the pharmacy on our own, like the settlers used to do, we want to stop for food on the way back to the hotel, but nothing is open. We end up ordering the least delicious pizza I've ever had. But I am hungry...

Thoughts: That was a looong drive, but between Portuguese coffee and talking with my parents, the 8 hours flew by quickly.

Almost there

I should email them a copy of this photo

Almost no visibility

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Spanish Road Trip: Christmas 2014

Synopsis: My parents are flying out a few days before Christmas so we can tour around Spain a bit and then head back to Pamplona for Christmas with my new Spanish family. I plan to do all the driving so my parents can enjoy the scenery and relax.

Road trip!

Day 1: I head out at 5 in the morning to Madrid, and it's actually nice since no one else is on the road. Super foggy and dark, though. As the sun finally comes up around 8:15, I can finally see the beautiful Spanish countryside in the Sierra Guadarrama, and the sunlight helps wake me up.

Meet my parents at the airport in Madrid and we sit and talk a bit over coffee and catch up. Hop in the car and while heading down to Granada, we stop at Toledo on the way. We park in a garage and my mother and I take the elevator while my dad walks up the stairs. I tell him if anyone talks to him in Spanish to say "no entiendo". He walks away practicing aloud "Nintendo". 

As soon as we are out the parking garage, we grab some food. We eat at Bű Terraza and it is delicious. Walk around the city a bit and it's very foggy, but still nice. Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo towers over the city, but again the fog makes it hard to see.

Drive on to Granada and I'm glad my parents are there to talk to because there is nothing between Toledo and Granada, except some beautiful mountains right before Granada. Walk around the city a bit and stop to eat at La Terraza, by the Granada Cathedral, and the food is decent, except the paella. Then we head to our hotel that we found, and decided on, while eating dinner.

Thoughts: So great to see my parents again. It's been a full year since we last hung out and we have so much to catch up on. My dad is funny at languages and when trying to imitate me saying "hasta luego" he says "yoyo". Turns out we got a pretty good hotel, Gran Luna De Granada (tripadvisor review), at 77€ for 3 people, plus cheap parking and breakfast and Wi-Fi included. My parents also gifted me an iPhone 6 for Christmas, that they let me open tonight. So happy! Today I drove 8 hours.

Picking my parents up at the Madrid airport

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6 Ways This American Travels Without Spending A Lot of Money

Throwback to Czech Republic in 2010

I've been asked how I am able to travel so frequently. I do not make a lot of money, but I take at least 1 trip per month. I have had some trips that were outrageously expensive, and some that were so cheap it seems unreal. This post is about the latter, and what I do to make it happen.

Obviously, the cheaper trips I have taken have been to countries with lower costs of living, so that helps, but also having a frugal mindset discourages frivolous spending, without diminishing the fun of the trip. The main key is to make a travel budget. I decide how much money I am willing to spend while on vacation, and I stick to it. This is easier said than done, so here are some tricks on how I do it. Here are 6 ways this American travels without spending a lot of money.

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Castillo de Javier and Monasterio de Leyre

Synopsis: Virginia and Leo recommend a day trip to Castillo de Javier and Monestario de Leyre. Arthuur and Rodrigo are at their grandparents' house so it's just Gonzalo with us.

We head first to Monastery De Leyre. Leo and I pay 2,75€ for the crypt, which takes like 28 seconds to see. But, Leo and I are goofing off and taking pics and having fun. We walk around the monastery grounds for free, so Virginia and Gonzalo join us. The monastery is surrounded by breathtaking scenery and mountains and a lake. We walk into the church part, and a mass is in progress. After seeing the whole monastery in about 45 minutes, we leave to go to Castillo de Javier.

First thing you see when walking to the castle from the parking lot is a spectacular view. It's like a miniature castle, maybe the smallest castle I've been to in Europe. It's 2,75€ to enter the castle, which is effectively a museum dedicated to San Francisco Javier. Upon entering are a series of dioramas depicting Saint Javier's life. He was a missionary to India, Japan and China, so there are also some Oriental artifacts inside. Apparently, he was the first missionary to Japan. We make our way up to the top of the castle and go outside, and we're greeted by biting cold wind despite beautiful sunny weather. After ascending to the top, you simply descend and walk out the castle, but not before stopping by the small jail by the entrance, that shows just how cruel prisoners were treated back in the day.

We arrived at noon and there was no line. We leave around 13h and there are twenty people in line. Head to the church next door with mass going on and notice the same architecture from monastery.

On the drive home I can see the signs for Camino de Santiago, the pilgrimage some people taking in the warmer months, and it seems like it would be pretty cool. We stop in the city of Lombiers and eat at a cafe. We spend more time waiting for the waitress to bring us and then pick up the check, than we did waiting for the food. 

Approaching the city of Javier

The Monastery

Day trippers!

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Road Trip from Belgium to Spain

Synopsis: I have found a way to immerse myself into the Spanish language and culture. I finally got an au pair visa (read about the chronicle here) and I'll teach some English and French to the Spaniards. I am taking my car with me, so that means a road trip is at hand! Will and I are going to take three days and enjoy some of the French countryside on the way there.

Where the map goes, we will follow

Trip Overview:
Day 1: Head out on the road with Will, the best driver this side of Peru, and myself, the best non contributor in the galaxy. I accidentally select "avoid tolls" on the GPS and we add two hours to our drive time and we are off in the farmlands of France.

Finally, we arrive in Lyon, right at rush hour. After driving around our hotel a few times, we find free street parking, then walk to our hotel. Since our hotel is on the main strip we walk around and hit Place Bellecour. Other than a giant ferris wheel, a statue, and a closed tourist info center, there isn't much there. We grab some food and then walk around the Traboules of Old Lyon, and walk forever uphill to the Basilica Fourvière. After all that walking, we are hungry again and end up at a Mexican restaurant. Afterward, we go to place Hotel De Ville, but it's dead so we head back to the hotel.

Thoughts: After watching Will drive for six hours, and then walking for several more hours around the city, I was exhausted. But not as exhausted as Will, who fell asleep as we walked into the hotel. Lyon is beautiful by night and quite spread out. We stopped at a hostel to ask about pub crawls and organized night tours and there doesn't seem to be either. Dommage.

On the open road

This is what it looks like when you are not on the toll road

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