I've been embarking on quite a few trips recently and have had quite a few cosas en mi plato en general (things on my plate in general...not sure if that's an actual Spanish expression but I've decided to make it one)...so that's my explanation for the negligence of this poor blog.
I'll tell you about the first trip first: on April 21, my program took the group on a day trip to la Alpujarra, a region of mountain villages on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada with charming, typical Berber architecture (small, white houses with flat clay roofs). First we ventured around the precious town of Capileira, then headed on a hike consisting of grand views of majestic mountaintops, as is to be expected in the Sierra Nevada, where the views are never too shabby. We eventually made it to Pampaneira, where I had my first eggplant with honey, which is a specialty of the region and quite tasty. We also found a store with a massive array of chocolate samples, so yeah...it was quite a nice day.
Next up: Switzerland! (April 26 to May 1). I don't even know where to begin to describe my love for this land of delicious cheese and fairytale views. Here are some highlights:
-The family Althea and I stayed with in Zurich (thanks to their connections to Julia and my dad) was extremely helpful in our trip-planning, brought us on numerous expeditions, and gave us great food, including a lunch of "Raclette," which consists of melting an enormous circle of cheese in front of the fire, scraping the melted part onto plates, and dipping potatoes and veggies into it...nothing gets better than that! Also, the three kids were adorable and gave me a chance to practice my incredibly rusty German.
-We visited the Kursthaus Museum in Zurich, where we got to see art by all the masters, including Picasso, Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Chagall, Munch, and Pissaro, as well as a pretty interesting Swiss artist, Alberto Giaconetti. My favorite part of the museum, however, was when we passed through the Renaissance room and heard shrill whines coming from the floor. Lo and behold, a tiny square of rug, maybe two by two inches, was cut away to display a screen with a bluish woman who seemed clearly agitated, although I couldn't understand what she was saying. (She might have been whining in French?) We peered at the pour soul for a while before a guard explained that it's part of an installation. We continued through the Renaissance art and on the the Impressionist pieces, but nowhere else did I find anything quite like that astonishing creature.
-The family brought us to Interlaken, where we took a tram-like device up to Harder Kulm, a smaller slope of the Alps. From there we had a fantastic view of the snow-capped portion of the Alps. They then took us to Bern, the capitol of Switzerland, where dwell the emblematic Bern bears. Houses from 800 years ago lie in the center, which is surrounded by water and little bridges. It was ranked among the top ten cities for best quality of life. I'm not exactly sure how one goes about measuring quality of life, but I don't doubt people live well there. It's unbelievably charming.
-We took a boat to a boulder next to the Rhinefalls, stood on top, and lounged in thire misty spray.
-Rappersville, with its castle and restaurants along the coast, was another highlight. Like Bern, it has houses that seem to spring right out of children's books. The photo below will explain what I mean:
-You can spend all day walking around Zuich (we did spend all of one day walking around it, as well as two other half-days). We got to see a church with windows created by Chagall and got to try fondue, which is decent, but doesn't compare to the slab of cheese melted by the fire.
Lastly, Cádiz, which was another program-sponsored adventure. We left on Friday and returned this evening. On the way there we stopped at El Torcal for a hike among the Jurassic age limestone. Although it had recently rained and it was a rough trek on the slippery mud, the view of the strangely-sculpted rocks was worth the pain. Plus, a fox followed us the whole way back, which was nice company to have (although she could well have had rabies) and a friendly herd of cows greeted us in the parking lot. Saturday morning through afternoon there was a torrential downpour that killed many umbrellas and made the tour of the city less-than-pleasant. But after returning to the hotel and taking a nap, it was like I awoke to a new day. Suddenly it was sunny and we could lounge and frolic at the beach, which was right outside our hotel. Today we had a spin around the ocean in a motorboat and then continued on our way to spend the rest of the day until our departure at the beach, where I soaked up the sun and went for a refreshing run along the water.
Now I'm back and have to face the real world (AKA homework I've been neglecting while being spoiled by these adventures).
I'll tell you about the first trip first: on April 21, my program took the group on a day trip to la Alpujarra, a region of mountain villages on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada with charming, typical Berber architecture (small, white houses with flat clay roofs). First we ventured around the precious town of Capileira, then headed on a hike consisting of grand views of majestic mountaintops, as is to be expected in the Sierra Nevada, where the views are never too shabby. We eventually made it to Pampaneira, where I had my first eggplant with honey, which is a specialty of the region and quite tasty. We also found a store with a massive array of chocolate samples, so yeah...it was quite a nice day.
Next up: Switzerland! (April 26 to May 1). I don't even know where to begin to describe my love for this land of delicious cheese and fairytale views. Here are some highlights:
-The family Althea and I stayed with in Zurich (thanks to their connections to Julia and my dad) was extremely helpful in our trip-planning, brought us on numerous expeditions, and gave us great food, including a lunch of "Raclette," which consists of melting an enormous circle of cheese in front of the fire, scraping the melted part onto plates, and dipping potatoes and veggies into it...nothing gets better than that! Also, the three kids were adorable and gave me a chance to practice my incredibly rusty German.
-We visited the Kursthaus Museum in Zurich, where we got to see art by all the masters, including Picasso, Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Chagall, Munch, and Pissaro, as well as a pretty interesting Swiss artist, Alberto Giaconetti. My favorite part of the museum, however, was when we passed through the Renaissance room and heard shrill whines coming from the floor. Lo and behold, a tiny square of rug, maybe two by two inches, was cut away to display a screen with a bluish woman who seemed clearly agitated, although I couldn't understand what she was saying. (She might have been whining in French?) We peered at the pour soul for a while before a guard explained that it's part of an installation. We continued through the Renaissance art and on the the Impressionist pieces, but nowhere else did I find anything quite like that astonishing creature.
-The family brought us to Interlaken, where we took a tram-like device up to Harder Kulm, a smaller slope of the Alps. From there we had a fantastic view of the snow-capped portion of the Alps. They then took us to Bern, the capitol of Switzerland, where dwell the emblematic Bern bears. Houses from 800 years ago lie in the center, which is surrounded by water and little bridges. It was ranked among the top ten cities for best quality of life. I'm not exactly sure how one goes about measuring quality of life, but I don't doubt people live well there. It's unbelievably charming.
-We took a boat to a boulder next to the Rhinefalls, stood on top, and lounged in thire misty spray.
-Rappersville, with its castle and restaurants along the coast, was another highlight. Like Bern, it has houses that seem to spring right out of children's books. The photo below will explain what I mean:
-You can spend all day walking around Zuich (we did spend all of one day walking around it, as well as two other half-days). We got to see a church with windows created by Chagall and got to try fondue, which is decent, but doesn't compare to the slab of cheese melted by the fire.
Lastly, Cádiz, which was another program-sponsored adventure. We left on Friday and returned this evening. On the way there we stopped at El Torcal for a hike among the Jurassic age limestone. Although it had recently rained and it was a rough trek on the slippery mud, the view of the strangely-sculpted rocks was worth the pain. Plus, a fox followed us the whole way back, which was nice company to have (although she could well have had rabies) and a friendly herd of cows greeted us in the parking lot. Saturday morning through afternoon there was a torrential downpour that killed many umbrellas and made the tour of the city less-than-pleasant. But after returning to the hotel and taking a nap, it was like I awoke to a new day. Suddenly it was sunny and we could lounge and frolic at the beach, which was right outside our hotel. Today we had a spin around the ocean in a motorboat and then continued on our way to spend the rest of the day until our departure at the beach, where I soaked up the sun and went for a refreshing run along the water.
Now I'm back and have to face the real world (AKA homework I've been neglecting while being spoiled by these adventures).
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