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Tag: Spain

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By stlake

In the US, I love to keep up with the news especially politics.  I am studying politics at GW but it also has been a passion of mine for a long time. But the United States has this little problem with being selfish and thinking it’s the center of the universe. Our news is just a product of that. The local news is mostly stories of robbery, fires and rapes; in short, straight up depressing. The “world news” is sound bites of the biggest international stories, and updates about what is happening in Washington.  And let’s not forget the nation’s obsession and personally, my biggest guilty pleasure; celebrity news. I cannot lie to you, if I don’t check Perez Hilton or People.com at least 3 times a day, I get a little restless.

Here are 5 things I have learned though the news here.

1.    US pop culture has taken over

For example, this weekend is the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination and the Spanish news is having a special all afternoon. When is the last time, the United State did a full length special celebrating a famous figure from other country? Here, I get US celebrity and political news and it’s surprisingly un-bias. Sure, at times, the US has had a less than stellar reputation abroad, but through my own experience, people here generally love Americans and are super interested in learning more about our culture. 

2.    Spain’s political problems

Spain is a parliamentary monarchy, meaning that there is a monarchy but also a prime minister, who is the head of government. Since the 1990s, there have been two major political parties. There is the Spanish Social Worker’s Party, which is more to the left of the spectrum (liberal for those who “don’t do politics”) and the People’s party, which is more conservative, and who are currently the heads of state. Just like in the US, there is corruption and those are just trying to do what’s right. Spain also has problems with autonomy, with the region of Catalonia (where Barcelona is) and Basque Country wanting to separate themselves. These problems are so interesting but yet something I have never discussed in any world history or international politics course. Spain’s history is very interesting and I’m so happy I’ve had the opportunity to learn about here.

3.    Does local news always have to sad?

Here’s a similarity between the US and España.  Since I’ve been here, the major story has been about these parents who are being accused of murdering their little girl who was adopted from China. Such a depressing story and we hear about every little development everyday. Then there are the fires, robberies, murders; the list goes on and on. Not that these stories aren’t important but why do people want to hear these things every single day? Communication/ Psych majors, where you at?

4.    The newscasters are beautiful.

This is just proving my “Spanish women are perfectly beautiful” theory even more. Like perfect, youthful, never a hair out of place, the cutest clothes, not to mention their bodies, despite eating bread and drinking at every meal. Sure, the US newscasters are generally good-looking, but this is just a whole other level. It just straight up aggravating.

5.    They know the meaning of international news

They talk about the news in the UK, France, Italy, Russia, the Middle East, China…I could go on and on. Sure the US and Spain get the most attention, but it’s a nice smorgasbord of news.

I’ve decided to do my final Spanish project on the role of American pop culture in Spain using some actual sources and not just the strong opinions and observations of Sahara Lake. Such a huge part of going abroad is learning about another culture and I’m so #blessed to have had the opportunity to do.

As for the following weeks, I have a plethora of papers, presentations and tests, Thanksgiving dinner (If there is not Mac&Cheese or stuffing, I might have spend another night crying with Tay-Tay Swift) and my much-anticipated trip to Morocco.

Until next time loyal followers. Paz, Amor and Beyoncé.

 

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By meaggymurphy

Blurb:My first stop in Portugal has already taught me a lot about Portuguese culture. The positive experience I've had in Porto has surprised me in a lot of ways, especially concerning the people I've met in the country's second largest city. Travelling can be tiring, stressful, and confusing, but in Portugal it hasn't felt like any of these things thanks to the nice people I've had the privilege of meeting along the way. The people are amazing, the food is great, and the city is beautiful- What more could I ask for?

People are nice. That is what I have learned from Portugal so far.  I'm writing this entry from a train between Porto and Lisbon. I made it on the train thanks to some strangers, who offered to call me a cab and then waited with me for it to come so they could be sure the driver got the right directions. It's been like this in every single encounter I've had with the Portuguese. You stop someone to ask for directions, and everyone within a 10 foot radius has to join in with their own opinions and recommendations. The waiters become your friends and joke around with you.

Another great thing about Portugal is that even if you don't speak Portuguese, the language is very similar to Spanish. It's really bizarre to have a conversation between two people, one speaking Spanish and the other speaking Portuguese, that can be productive and understandable.
I would like to take a moment in this post to reflect upon the deliciousness of Portuguese food. Half of the time I'm about 50% sure of what I've ordered, but 100% of the time it has been delicious. Porto is on the coast, and they have great fish dishes of salted cod and salmon, as well as shrimp and crab soups. I've noticed that the food is spicier than typical Spanish food as well. And the desserts! Again, I haven't ever really been sure what I'm getting myself into, but generally everything has tasted even better than it's looked.
Portugal is exceeding my expectations so far. It's so close to Spain that it seemed like a no-brainier to come, but I hadn't really considered how awesome of an experience it would be until I arrived. And despite being close to Spain, it's different in many noticeable and interesting ways. Right now on the train, I've seen beautiful ocean views and small, white-washed towns with palm trees and orange roofs. Before I left Spain, a friend of mine who is originally from Lisbon literally made me a PowerPoint (complete with photos) of all the things I should see and do when I'm in the city. I was amazed that she had taken the time to make me something so detailed and helpful, and now that I'm here, I see that she comes from a culture of people who don't mind taking the time to be nice.

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By meaggymurphy

Blurb: Most of us get a little nervous before a big presentation in front of our peers/coworkers. This past week, I gave a presentation that was the culmination of lots of research and hard-work, and I think it's safe to say I was nervous. Luckily, there is a happy ending to this story. Also, I got to be reminded of the greatest feeling in the world: walking out of a room after giving a presentation and realizing that you're allowed to breathe again. #GWU #GWAbroad #finals #publicspeaking

The end of the semester, be it at home or abroad, always seems to bring projects and exams along with it. This semester has been no exception, and I have had a series of presentations that started last week and will continue until next week. One of these presentations, for my hardest class entitled "Communication for Development," took place last Thursday and I am over-the-moon happy that it is over, for many reasons.

Firstly, this specific project began in August, a.k.a. about 3 months ago. We were given the task of investigating any topic relevant to communication and media within or relating to the developing world. Luckily, this type of topic is what interests me as an International Affairs major concentrating on International Development and minoring in journalism. I was extremely lucky in that I happened to pick group members who were equally as interested in and dedicated to this type of research as myself. Also, I found two groups members who were very patient with my constant flow of questions (What type of font should I use here? How does one reserve library books? ¿Cómo se dice...?).

In August we began researching media coverage of the chemical attacks in Syria, specifically comparing two Spanish newspaper, El País and El Punt/Avui. We started by analyzing all of the articles about Syria that were published between two specific dates, using a number code to label variables like the type author, the section, and the theme of the article. It was definitely a lot more numbers than I was expecting, and after collecting all of the data, we entered it into a computer spreadsheet and analyzed it. In the end, we had read and analyzed 97 articles.

The conclusions we drew from the study were pretty interesting; for example, El Punt/Avui (which is a newspaper from the region of Cataluña) published more photos with more violent/realistic themes than El País (the largest newspaper in Spain). This was surprising and went against one of our early hypotheses. So, after going through the process of reading, numbering, analyzing, and writing a report came the fun part: the presentation.

I don't really know anyone who loves doing presentations. I certainly don't, but I also don't over-stress about them. This presentation, however, was different. It was in Spanish, which made it more intimidating. Also, after so many hours of working on the report and the presentation itself over the course of 3 months, I didn't want to be the one to screw it up.

So Thursday came, and the first group had done their presentation, and next it was my group's turn. We got up and did the presentation, and 15 minutes after showing all of our graphs and charts and explaining our methodology and conclusions, a project that started when it was still hot and sunny out was finished. It felt amazing to be done, and even more amazing that the professor liked our project.

I don't think I'll ever be afraid to give a presentation again. Talking about something technical in another language was daunting, but I did it and it went well! And luckily I didn't stutter or trip and fall or forget what to say/how to breathe.

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By meaggymurphy

Blurb:  Visiting a castle is a pretty decent want to spend a day, and I was lucky enough to get to go see an unexpectedly beautiful castle here in Navarra this past weekend. The fall foliage and beautiful weather made the experience that much more enchanting. The town where this castle is hidden, Olite, was also charming and definitely a hidden gem of the region. The only things that were missing from the experience were the dragons and Gandolf. #medieval #palace #spain #daytrip #GWU #GWAbroad

This past weekend, I got to see two things I love: my friend Sara (who is currently studying in Barcelona) and more of the countryside surrounding Pamplona. When Sara visited, we decided to go visit a nearby town called Olite, about a half hour away from where I live. Bus rides around this region of Spain are painless because of how pretty the mountains and roadside towns are; especially now that it's fall, the colors are changing from sunny greens and yellows to rustic golds and reds.

Once we got to Olite, we decided to stroll around and get situated in the little town. We entered a souvenir shop (where it's always ok to be a tourist) and asked where the center of town and restaurants were. The girl working behind the desk laughed a little and said, "This is it!" Apparently we were already in the middle of the town, which consisted of a plaza, the souvenir shop, a couple restaurants, and town hall. So, first thing's first, we sat down at a table in the plaza belonging to one of the restaurants and ordered some lunch.

After lunch, the next stop was the Palacio Real of Olite. At first, Sara and I almost made the HUGE mistake of being deterred by the entrance fee of 2 euros (later, we marveled at everything we had come so close to missing out on). Thankfully, we decided to go in. I had never really realized that I had never been in a legitimate medieval castle, unless you count Cinderella's Castle in Disney World, which I admittedly did before this visit.

This castle was built between the 13th and 14th centuries by King Charles III "The Noble" of Navarra. It's a Gothic palace, with geometric decorations over windows and spiral staircases leading up to one of two towers that overlook the town and the mountains. It's known for the disorder of it's design, but I thought it was more whimsical than unorganized. My favorite part of the whole palace was a square courtyard surrounded by a covered walkway with tall Gothic windows that allow you to see into the garden in the center. However, this wasn't the best part of the courtyard. The most enchanting part was the vines surrounding the walkway because they were bright, florescent red. After seeing all this, Sara and I were kicking ourselves for having almost not gone into the palace. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen since arriving here in Spain. It get like walking onto the set of Game of Thrones or into a scene from Lord of the Rings.

After running around the Palace for a while, it was time to head back to Pamplona. Looking back afterwards at the pictures we took, I still can't get over how pretty it all was. Everything was perfect- the weather, the castle, the views, and being able to go with my friend made it one of my favorite days! I've written about hidden gems before, and I'll do it again. They're the best because, like the Palacio Real de Olite, they're surprising and always exceed expectations. And, it's never a bad way to spend a day feeling like a medieval princess.

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By stlake

Yesterday morning, I walked into the kitchen and Mama Dominga was standing over the fruit bowl, just shaking her head. She was upset because I didn’t eat any apples this week and now they were going “bad”. I put air quotes around that because in Spain, leftover culture really is frowned upon. Mama Dominga goes to the market and gets fresh bread almost every other day and fresh fruit about 3 days. But instead of getting defensive, I quickly thought of another creative idea; apple pie. So, I spent my Sunday afternoon, watching El Voz, the Spanish version of The Voice, and making pie. Mama Dominga, while I do get frustrated with her sometimes, is one of the most special people I have ever had the privilege of meeting, and we are actually quite similar. The similarity I realized yesterday was that we both cry when we hear good singers, especially if they can belt out a Motown classic. Then last night, the crew had dinner with Benjie’s parents, who are incredibly sweet. And per usual, the dinner was filled of stories and laughs and I left Sal y Pepe (home of homemade pizza and sangria) feeling a lot better than I’ve felt in a while.

Obviously, my Alicante adventure has been the absolute best and I'm having the time of my life. But I want to take the time to discuss the darker side of study abroad, homesickness. Besides this week, I really only had one other week of homesickness. It came around my 5th/6th week here, when the honeymoon stage faded away. I realized this wasn’t just a beach vacation, but I had schoolwork and other responsibilities. I felt sad and at times, slightly hopeless. Surprisingly, talking to friends and family at home only made things worse.  I couldn’t believe I had to go another 3 months without seeing them. So you may ask, how did I got over it? I realized that all my friends here were in the same boat and all of us, sticking it out together and creating amazingly funny memories was the only way to make my experience.

This time it’s been a little different because I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m almost finished here and I know there isn’t much left. I have Thanksgiving weekend, one more trip to Morocco, exams and presentation and then I’m off for the Lake Family European Holiday to Barcelona and Paris. So now it’s more of a bittersweet feeling; I am close to all my friends here and don’t want to leave them but I’m still so excited to go home. I’m going be honest with you guys right now. I can’t believe I am admitting this to the entire internet but I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift because I just feel like she’s the only who gets my over-dramatic attitude right now. For those who know me, you must see the severity of this situation.

After my amazing Sunday, I woke up this Monday morning, with a new attitude. Taylor Swift has been set aside (I wish I could say thrown out but she has a time and place-god I can’t believe I’m having this epiphany right now and owning up to it). I’m back listening to my abroad anthem Roar by Katy Perry (try not to feel empowered when you listen to it, I dare you.) and eating the last piece of Madre’s and my apple pie. I’m feeling much better. For those students who are reading this post and thinking about going abroad, know this. There will be some days where you just want to be eating cheeseburgers with your best friends, and watching the Kardashians. But then you’ll book a weekend trip to Morocco and you’ll realize you need to get a grip.

One Month More, Another Day, Another Destiny.

(yes Les Miserable is pretty over-dramatic, but better than Tay-Tay Swift. It’s a classic.)

 

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By meaggymurphy

The border between France and Spain is less than an hour from Pamplona, so I knew I wouldn't be able to leave without taking at least one trip there. I got my chance last weekend, and it definitely expanded my view of Spain and the region I live in.
The friends who I went with thought it was the funniest thing ever that I had brought my passport to cross the border... How was I supposed to know that there is zero border control to enter France from Spain?! The ease at which people can move between the two countries surprised me, but it explains the influence that France has had on northern Spain, as well as that of Spain on southern France.
Upon arrival in Biarritz, France, everyone seemed to speak both French and Spanish. The city itself is a picturesque town situated by the ocean, and reminded me of San Sebastian (in northern Spain) for its architecture and vacation-y feel. The restaurant we stopped in for lunch was serving gazpacho and paella, which are definitely Spanish inventions. The second city we visited, Saint Jean de Luz, was similar in that it was a sunny, charming resort town by the beach.
Despite the similarities I saw between this region of southern France and Spain, I was still able to have my French experience. We stopped for crepes, and I refused to reenter Spain without first buying real French macaroons (this caused us a bit of a detour, but our persistence in the search of macaroons was not in vain, and I returned to Pamplona with a bag of the bright, multi-colored sweets). One of my friends speaks French, so she was appointed Designated Translator and I was able to ask her what everything meant. At one point, we were sitting in a square and realized how quiet it was, despite being full of people. Looking around, everyone was sitting at little cafe tables, contentedly having an espresso or leisurely reading a newspaper or eating a crepe. One guy was even wearing a beret! I don't think I've ever seen a scene so stereotypically French in my life. It was nice to sit there in the midst of so much Frenchness and walk away from it hoping to have soaked up some of the calm classiness of it all.
We spent the day strolling around the streets, window shopping and walking by the water. We stumbled upon a wedding party outside of a church, an outdoor concert, and little parks and monuments throughout both cities. It was a very relaxing day of exploring, and I was glad to have gone not at the height of tourist season. It was beautiful, and seeing how close Pamplona and France really are helped me to understand a bit more about the French influences in northern Spain. At the end of the day, I got to check off "Go to France" from my bucket list, although I hope that it won't be my first and only visit!

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By stlake

parablogSo I’ve been majorly slacking on the blog posts as of late, so I’m going try to catch everyone up in a organized fashion. For those of you who know me well, you know I am the queen of post-it notes and to-do lists. Now I know laundry lists aren't the most interesting things to read but I promise to try to keep some humor. The extreme wit will return this week, I promise. So List #1: Things I’ve neglected to write about/probably should have gotten their own post but didn’t.

  1. My trip  eg of my fall break. I got to see one of my high school best friends KC and we spent plenty of time catching up, eating AMAZING food and sight-seeing. I would define our tourism however as lazy, which can be defined as people watching and going to more local spots than museums. But it was still a beautiful city nonetheless.
  2. My 21st Birthday- It was really cool that I got to spend my 21st abroad. So, while I might not have had the typical “American” experience, I was on the beach on October 14th, hanging out with some the coolest people I have ever met.
  3. The Education Strike here in Spain- About two weeks ago now, the Spanish government made huge budget and scholarship cuts to the education system, which caused the students and families at the University to go on strike and protest in the streets. The entire thing fascinated me, and being the political nerd I am, I looked more into the political systems here. I’m feeling quite inspired about this topic, so stay tuned for a individual post!
  4. Halloween Spanish style- While a few years ago, Halloween might have not been popular, with the growing number of abroad students here in Alicante as well as the increasing popularity of American pop culture, Halloween has definitely found it’s niche. I pulled a typical American girl move and dressed up as a black cat, while the Spanish people went for more a scary, scratch that, TERRIFYING approach to Halloween. I had an absolute blast with the all my friends. I'm definitely starting to think about how fast time is going by and cherishing every moment with my new friends.parablog2

This weekend, the entire CIEE crew went to Sevilla, Spain for a weekend trip. I had such a great time, which leads me to List #2: The best things about Sevilla

1.    It’s the perfect place for artsy photos. Here are a few examples, kudos of Chloe-the candid photo master. Everything was just so beautiful, I just had to show you guys.

2.    The architecture was just perfect. It is extremely influenced by the Muslims, who ruled the city for a very long time. The Cathedral, which is the largest Gothic cathedral and 3rd largest church in the world was beautiful. But my favorite building by far was the Plaza de España. Fun fact, Star Wars Attack of Clones was filmed there!

3.    Flamenco Dance- I have seen Flamenco Dance before, about 5 years ago but it definitely stuck with me more this time around. I am extremely fascinated by this dance. The guitar is extremely complex and beautiful. The dancers are so strong and powerful, yet it is extremely beautiful and tells such a sweet love story. The guttural singing kind of caught me by surprise but it adds to the passion of the whole art form.

I promise to continue to write weekly (maybe even bi-weekly if I get inspired) for my last 5 weeks here in Alicante. Thank you for all the continued support and love you all have given me throughout my Alicante Adventure. I hope to finish strong!

Paz, Amor y Beyoncé.

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By meaggymurphy

Barcelona was definitely not the same Spain that I have gotten to know in Pamplona. I knew it would be different as soon as I got there when the first sign I read was in Spanish and Catalán. The architecture of the city was also very different from any city I've seen since arriving here; between the huge marble buildings, the Gaudí houses, and the giant palace sitting on top of Montjüic, I kept having "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Pamplona anymore" moments. I hadn't realized how used to small-city life I'd become until I realized how different I felt seeing everything in the big city.

My other first impression of everything was the Barcelona has a style uniquely its own. Kids walk around with dreadlocks and tattoos, and cafes play tons of rock and indie music. That's to say I saw an alternative culture there that is definitely not the norm in Pamplona. Also, protesting seems to be a favorite pastime of the people living there. There were no shortage of protests over the Catalán independence movement, and that just contributed to a very rebellious vibe that I found throughout the city.
Barcelona also surprised me by how international it is. In the hostel where I stayed, I got to meet tons of people from all over the world. The other thing I realized about Barcelona very quickly is that is a lot more aggressive than what I've become used to. There are tons of crowds, lots of noise, always someone protesting or trying to sell you something. Barcelona, at least after spending time in the relative calmness of a northern Spanish city, was a bit of a reverse culture shock. It was like being in New York, with all the tourists and hugeness, except Spanish-style.
The best part of being in Barcelona was reuniting with friends from GW- some of whom study there, others who study elsewhere in Spain, and even one friend who came all the way from London (which isn't actually that far when you aren't thinking on American terms, I've come to realize). Of all the things I saw, my favorite was a nighttime fountain light show that happens in from of the National Palace every night. The fountain is coordinated to lights and music, and the view of the show with the huge palace in the background was unforgettable. Ah, wait! I also really liked the Park Güell, with all of Gadí's whimsical architecture woven in with the nature surrounding it. And there was also his Sagrada Familia, which was definitely the most unique and impressive (and also least churchy) church I've ever been in. I loved seeing all of Gaudí's works throughout the city because I felt like he left little pieces of his genius behind in every detail of one of his sculptures and every piece of one of his mosaics.
The other thing I liked about Barcelona (which is also something that I really like about Spain, to be honest) is that no one needs an excuse to get together with friends, eat good food, enjoy oneself, and ya está. For example, one day we took a free tour (props to my friend for finding an awesome free tour service) and just happened upon a huge wine/food/ham festival (ham gets its own category, but that is another post for another day) outside of the Barcelona Cathedral. Or at night, every terrace and cafe in the city is full of people and music. For me, that was the best part about Barcelona; it never sleeps, but it never sleeps because everyone is having too much fun. That's what a siesta is for, after all!

Published on

By stlake

Bad News: My trip to Rome was nothing like the Lizzie McGuire Movie. I did not impersonate an Italian superstar, ride a Vespa nor did my best guy friend FINALLY confess his love to me. And at 5, I was not served the cookies (If you don’t know that reference, you need to watch the movie again ASAP).

Good News: My trip to Rome was just like Eat, Pray, Love…minus the praying, loving and Julia Roberts whining that her privileged white-American life is just so awful (don’t get me started with that book/movie). So right now, I’m gonna take the time to brag about everything I ate and you all are going to hate me for it, but I don’t care #sorrynotsorry

Day 1:

Well technically I was only there Monday night thanks to a delayed flight, lost and found luggage and getting lost walking from the Trastevere train station to my wonderful friend Carolyn’s apartment. But let’s get back to the meal. We went to Il Spaghetti, and I had pasta Carbonara, which is a tomato-based cream sauce with bacon. I also tried these fried balls of risotto with cheese and tomato sauce, which were so good. Then we went to a local homemade gelato place where I had the Madagascar chocolate and blackberry flavors. By far the best gelato I’ve had in my life.

Day 2:

-A salad at Nero Café, which is right by Carolyn’s school. Not that exciting, but they have balsamic vinegar in Rome, which they don’t have in Spain, and I definitely was missing that.

-Frigidarium gelato where I had the house flavor, which was a combination of cookie, chocolate and caramel. Divine recommendation by other Greenwich Academy friend, Christine.

-Went to Tony’s, Carolyn’s favorite restaurant. Just a fun, classic Italian restaurant, where the owner Tony kisses every girl on the cheek as they walk in the door. I had penne a la vodka-the sauce was perfect and I soaked up every last drop of it up with their bomb.com bread.

Day 3:

-Another salad at Nero Café.

-Gelato #3-by the pantheon, not really note-worthy

-My second romantic dinner date with Carolyn. Took a break from pasta and had a veal burger with eggplant, tomato and cheese. As far as burgers go, nothing beats my burger in Barcelona (reference post #3) but it was really good. And of course, had to have hot flatbread covered in oil, vinegar, rosemary and thyme. And for dessert, this homemade Nutella flavored mousse/ice cream. What this desert actually was is kind of unclear, but my obsession with it definitely is not.

Day 4:

-Grilled Turkey Salad and pizza bread. Definitely the best salad of my trip

-Gelato #4-chocolate and pomegranate flavor. The chocolate was alright but the pomegranate was absolutely delicious. And yes, you read right-I had gelato everyday of my trip. Zero regrets.

- DAR POETA. This was the second recommendation from Christine. Carolyn, her friend Eliza and I were definitely are the verge of starvation and our waitresses definitely hated us and, I’m just gonna be blunt-she sucked (sorry Mom, I know you hate that word but it’s the god’s honest truth.). But this meal did not. We started out with tomato bruschetta and then I got the best pizza of my life. It was pesto, mozzarella, tomatoes and wait for it…potatoes. Sounds kind of strange, but I definitely was having a relationship with this pizza (The only line from Eat, Pray, Love I like. God Julia really let me down with that one, but I digress.) And then for the grand finale, we shared a Nutella calzone. No words can describe it.

So when I wasn’t stuffing my face with pizza, pasta and things, I walk all around rainy Roma. I saw all the classic touristy things except the Sistine Chapel, and I didn’t get the typical throwing the coin into the Trevi Fountain pic. Ugh, guess I’ll just have to come back to Rome sometime in my life 😉 My favorite sight was St. Peter’s Basilica. Just the details in the walls, the color, the smell-I’m not a religious person by any means, but the churches in Rome, especially this one, definitely bring you to a different place. And waiting in line to get into the Vatican City, it poured so as I entered the church, I was cold and wet with curly hair. But no bad moods even though I looked like a damp poodle; the church was just everything and more. The #YOLO moment was definitely karaoke at Scholar’s. My other high school friend Desiree brought me with her friends from her program. At first, I wasn’t going to do it but then her friends asked me if I knew all the words to Gold digger by Kanye West. Obviously I can’t turn down a moment to sing a classic Yeezus jam, so I decided to help them out. But when we got up there, Ignition Remix came on.  Luckily, I know all the words to that one too. According to Des, I killed it. It was just so much fun!

I’m writing this from the Italian high-speed train to Florence to visit my best friend, princess KC. The countryside is absolutely beautiful. OMG, I just saw a sheep. We ain’t in Kansas anymore.  Until next time GW students, family, lovers and friends (Yes dad, I said “lovers” again).

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By meaggymurphy

I'm learning that hidden gems are the best part of living in this region of Spain. I often get the feeling that people overlook northern Spain... It's not bustling Madrid, international Barcelona, or sunny Seville. However, I've been pleasantly surprised by how much Navarra has to offer. One small example of a hidden gem I recently uncovered is called the Necedero del río Urederra in the Parque Natural Urbasa Andía.

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The Necedero del río Urederra in the Parque Natural Urbasa Andía

One of my friends recent ly acquired a car, which opens up a whole range of possibilities as far as traveling around the region goes. Along with another friend, we decided to take the 40 minute drive to this national park that allegedly had a beautiful, crystal-clear river called Urederra. It felt nice to drive into the mountains (but not so nice once we started climbing the winding roads and I realized I had the misfortune of being in the backseat, a.k.a. the whiplash seat). Once we arrived, it was a short walk through a little, mountainside town of about 20 adobe houses to arrive at the park entrance. At this point, we were joking nervously about how the weather looked like it was about to change for the worst and we were stuck without an umbrella. We decided to chance it, and I'm glad we did.

The walk consisted of a dirt pathway winding through the trees, with sweeping views of mountains and valleys before the forest became more dense. Soon the trees broke and we were looking down upon the most breathtaking river I've ever seen. It was a shade of blue, luminescent and clear, that I didn't know existed outside of the Caribbean. As if the color wasn't enough, there was also a waterfall cascading over the rocks. At first, myself and the two other girls were speechless; as soon as we could talk, we couldn't stop gushing over how beautiful it was!

Continuing on, every view of the river Urederra was more picturesque than the last. Trees growing on the riverbanks extended their roots into the turquoise water, and we could see clearly the rock formations arranged under the crystal cover of water. We stopped and had a picnic (my friends had packed me an extra sandwich, which I thought was really sweet!) and took it all in. Places like the Nacedero del Urederro, which are so unexpectedly and naturally beautiful, kind of temporarily stun you by how perfect they are.

I joked that I would build myself a little cabin right next to the river, and I was only half kidding because I can't think of a better view to wake up to every morning! After a couple hours of continuing down this path (and encountering surprisingly few other visitors), we reluctantly decided to head back to the car. In almost no time, I was back at my apartment, still in shock over the beauty of everything we'd seen.

This day trip was definitely my favorite that I've taken so far here in Spain; I got to see a place that exceeded all of my expectations with great company, and in the end it didn't even rain! I left Urederra feeling extremely lucky. I felt lucky to have found this hidden gem, lucky to have found good friends to share these experiences with, and, most of all, lucky to live here in Navarra!

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