tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55843720044997800702024-02-07T22:58:59.245-07:00ahoy, jmatey!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-50031053446075530812016-05-10T16:55:00.002-07:002016-05-10T16:55:19.957-07:00Lisbon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Note: So, I suck at consistency. This post and two others have just been hanging out in "drafts" with only pictures and brief commentary, but I keep coming back to the thought that it is important to me to finish this little series eventually. So... maybe expect the last one sometime next year (I joke, maybe.)</i></div>
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I left Bilbao early afternoon on Tuesday, had a short layover in Barcelona (where I almost lost my wallet, EEK, before my scattered-ness was pointed out by a kindly European), and landed in Lisbon late Tuesday night. </div>
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I had scheduled two full days in Lisbon, and by this time, I was getting pretty darn good at living out of the carry-on-sized suitcase and small backpack. It's strange to admit, but by Wednesday afternoon or so, I was also getting a little tired of it and travel fatigued (why yes, that sound you hear is the world's smallest violin.) As a result, I do <i>not</i> think I really dove into Lisbon as much as I know I would have otherwise -- I took it pretty easy. That said, Lisbon was such that I think I could take it easy and still enjoy and embrace the city immensely.</div>
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Lisbon is beautiful and bright and warm, with touches of old and new throughout. It's built around the mouth of the Tagus River at the Atlantic Ocean.</div>
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Loved it.</div>
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Lisbon</h2>
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Entire walls of buildings were painted or tiled in bright colors.<br />
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Mosaic cobbled streets.<br />
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Loved this alleyway.<br />
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Art everywhere.<br />
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Beautiful days and nights. Above, I spent both evenings at this overlook, which according to Google is called the Jardim de São Pedro de Alcântara. Just such a beautiful view and vibe with performers (guy with guitar playing Bob Dylan... oh, and somebody else breathing fire.)<br />
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Dogs and fish.<br />
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Sao George Castle</h3>
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Pretty cool. Nice views. Worth a morning and a few euros.<br />
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Port Wine Institute</h3>
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First sip: I don't think I like port.<br />
Second sip: Well, I don't <i>love </i>port.<br />
Third (and subsequent) sip: Hey, this stuff's pretty alright.<br />
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This was highly recommended by several guidebook-y sources. They had an amazing selection, a bit overwhelming to this port ignoramus. I put my life in the hands of the person working there, and she did right by me. I forget what kind this is, but I'd trust her again.<br />
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Fado</h3>
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Another commonly-referenced must-do/see in Lisbon was visit a fado club. My awesome AirBnB hosts, Claudia and Pedro, recommended a couple of fado places in the Alfama neighborhood.<br />
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I loved it. I guess I'd describe fado as Portugal's blues -- but that comparison is pretty lame. The women who sing are like the sultriest, most heart-broken blues singer you ever heard (guys too, but the ladies slayed). It is like nothing else.<br />
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Also -- the fado club I visited was totally reasonable. I guess there are a bunch of touristy places where you can expect to drop a ton of dough on dinner and music. They had a minimum (I think 10 euro) but that was easy to meet with a glass of wine and some cheese -- seriously, that was it: a good-sized wheel of cheese (which was clearly intended for more than 1 person) and a knife. I feel like there is a fado song in there somewhere -- a good-sized wheel of cheese and no one with whom to share it.<br />
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River Beach and Praca do Comercio</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singing "On My Own" from Les Mis beautifully. One of my favs.</td></tr>
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I did not make it to any of Portugal's ocean beaches (which are, by all accounts, legendary), but I did the "river beach." My AirBnB hosts mentioned that the area was fairly new and had come a long way in developing the surrounding area. It was a nice place to just stroll along, find a cafe with sandwiches and wine, and chill out. I am sensing a pattern in the final leg of my trip.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First (and hopefully last) time flying RyanAir</td></tr>
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Flew RyanAir back to Paris on Friday for my flight home on Saturday (glad I didn't try for the same day, because I got back to the city almost 4 hours after I thought I would.) And I almost didn't make it on the plane because I didn't save the boarding pass correctly on my iPad. Classic RyanAir. But here we are. <div>
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Plus, as a result of that nerve-wracking incident, I had a really interesting conversation with 2 other almost-didn't-make-it-ons (a super nice Portuguese couple) about Portugal's and Greece's economies.</div>
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Considering the amount of time devoted to RyanAir in my MBA (2 case study discussions in 2 separate classes) and to the European Union (basically an entire quarter and then some), I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was a nice capstone to my degree. Who doesn't love symmetry.<br /><br /></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-50599483701887112762015-12-30T13:26:00.002-07:002015-12-30T13:27:11.537-07:00Bilbao (Days 2-3)<h3 style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">The next day (a Monday,) I had planned to visit the Guggenheim. I made the mistake of not checking the schedule (my casual traveler mindset failed me) -- if you visit Bilbao, the museum is closed on Mondays. I ended up wandering around Old Town, which was far from disappointing. That did leave me with only a couple of hours to see the museum on Tuesday, between the museum's open and my early-afternoon flight, which was a mistake.</span></h3>
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Old Town</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Arriaga Theater</td></tr>
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This kid playing keyboard in the square outside the church of Santos Juanes. Awesome.<br />
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There is a Basque museum in Bilbao, which I thought would be interesting to visit. It was, somewhat. The museum focused on industry and art of the Basque people -- fishing, smithing, pottery -- I don't know what I was expecting. I expected there to be not much English, but I read online that everything was also in English. That isn't quite the case, and I find dioramas and reproductions are only as interesting as the story they tell. At any rate, it was a fine way to spend a quiet and inexpensive couple hours.</div>
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Later, I had a delicious lunch at a vegetarian restaraunt, <a href="http://www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/restaurants/jatetxe-berdea_2" target="_blank">Jatetxe Berdea</a> (also on my hosts' list of recommendations!) I'm pretty sure some of my food was at least re-heated in a microwave (I also eat at weird times when travelling alone, so I'm not mad) but it was a TON of food, yummy, and I think 11 euro for the "full meal" (soup, bread, entree, dessert, and a glass of wine.)<br />
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Azkorri</h3>
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Another goal I had while in Bilbao was to visit the coast. I found Playa Gorrondaxte, Azkorri, mapped my trip on the metro, and headed out. </div>
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The beach is maybe 2-3 miles walk from the Berango metro stop (some hills), but not bad. Much of the walk is through residential area, but there are also dirt trails that wind around alongside the road. I took the trail on a whim, and I started to get a little nervous after walking a few minutes through high greenery, unsure where I was going. I was relieved when the trail dumped me out on the same road, just farther along.</div>
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The beach, like the mountain vistas, was totally stunning. I spent some time just sitting and looking at it, walking up and down...</div>
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This guy started following me on the road back, getting closer, barking at intervals... I'm leaving your territory, dude, lay off. I yelled at him (one of those yells that don't come out how you expect, and startle even you) when he got a little too close.</div>
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This excursion was so much easier than the day before to the mountain. I attribute that to no buses -- just the metro. It was a longer ride (about 45 minutes from where I caught it) but there's a map right there on the wall with all the stops, so I knew when to start paying attention; it's a smoother and less twisty/turny ride, so easier to read and pass the time; and generally the stops are a lot more of a hub than bus stops, so getting oriented and regaining directions and bearings on foot is quick.</div>
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Guggenheim Bilbao</h3>
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I set my alarm to get up in time to be at the museum just before it opened. I slept through it (of course) but made it just a few minutes after open. There was already a line, which dismayed me, but it shouldn't have -- the line moves really fast.</div>
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Before even entering the museum, there's a ton of sculpture and architecture to appreciate. The building itself is the obvious example, but the sculpture garden just outside and along the river and contemporary pedestrian bridges across it also shape the vibe of this little port town. You could be in the Old Town, with buildings dating back to the 1600s, then later that afternoon be in this very contemporary part of the city.</div>
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I really enjoyed <a href="http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/works/the-matter-of-time/" target="_blank">The Matter of Time</a> permanent installation; it's a huge work and a really unique and unusual way to experience art and form. There's a better picture at that link.</div>
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When I visited, there was a special Jeff Koons retrospective, with pieces from throughout his career. I love cheeky art, which he definitely makes. I took a ton of pictures, but the stainless steel balloon-looking sculptures stuck with me the most. So shiny. And the tulips especially -- such a big, colorful, shiny contrast to the cloudy grey sky outside.</div>
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I do wish I had more time at the museum. I was only left with about 2 hours, and plenty unseen (especially of the museum's permanent collection). Another "what would I do differently" moment: I packed very light, so in hindsight I could have brought all my luggage to check at the museum. That would have given me up to an extra hour or two if I had known to pack up and check out before. Live and learn.</div>
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I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed Bilbao. I have this dream to someday live abroad, even just for a couple years -- could see home in Bilbao or Toulouse. I loved Barcelona and Paris, but I felt small and temporary.</div>
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I caught my flight for Lisbon, and the last new city of the trip, early Tuesday afternoon.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-67628963709263706032015-12-30T12:13:00.002-07:002016-01-06T13:55:45.404-07:00Bilbao (Day 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Then I went to Bilbao, then I went to Lisbon, then I came home. The end.</div>
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I'm a slacker. But I have two more cities, and they were each my favorite yet! Have some time off this week, so maybe I can wrap it up before the new year (in 2 days...)</div>
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Bilbao</h2>
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Travelling alone, in a foreign country, is kind of wonderful. I love to pick out just a couple things to do, map out my day, then see what else I find along the way. Knowing I would have limited time, and knowing I'd just have come off two weeks of fast-paced and regimented school and sightseeing, Bilbao sounded perfect. It's a smaller city with unique history, nestled between mountains and ocean. </div>
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If you Google "Bilbao" one of the first things you'll find is probably its <a href="http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao" target="_blank">Guggenheim Museum</a>. The museum is absolutely worth seeing, but the Basque region of Spain's culture and geography is also unique and wonderful.</div>
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I took a short flight from Barcelona (thank you, bonus miles!) and landed ready to take on day 1 (of 2.5) in Bilbao. I caught the bus to my AirBnB to get the key and meet my hosts. It was a beautiful day, and they suggested that if I wanted to spend some time outside I should enjoy it while I could -- it had been unseasonably wet and unpredictable, so there was no telling what was in store for the rest of my short time there.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My feline AirBnB host. This cat is hilarious.</td></tr>
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Pagasarri</h3>
My short list for Bilbao included: Guggenheim, mountains, beach. I live in a city that is built right up to and around mountains, so I did some research into where I could take a hike without taking a full day trip. I found Pagasarri. Pagasarri is a small mountain range, part of the Basque Mountains, sometimes referred to as "the lungs of Bilbao" but the translation/root words have something to do with a goddess.<br />
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I was determined to take public transit as far as I could, then walk to the trails from there. Public transit in a strange place -- in a foreign language -- is serious mental aerobics. Eat your heart out, Lumosity. I don't really speak enough Spanish, and, as with any unfamiliar public transit line, I really didn't know where I was going or when to really start looking out for my stop. I ended up following the blue dot on Google Maps to see when my stop was approaching (international data saves the day again.)</div>
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Despite technology, I got off a bit too early (see above, "no idea where I was going") and ended up walking maybe 2 miles more than necessary (uphill... to a mountain). Maybe I should have taken a cab... Even so it was nice to see a little more of the city and the region.</div>
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My short hike was totally breathtaking and worth it.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: ominous storm clouds</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wish I knew what this is.</td></tr>
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This picture was taken early in the hike, and shortly after, the mostly blue sky turned grey and ominous. A light rain gave way to heavier downpour and loud thunder cracks. I thought it best to turn back at that point, not knowing how bad it would get and thinking it unwise to be out alone on an unfamiliar mountain during a thunderstorm. It cleared up before I got back to the road (Pagasarri, you trickster) but not before my legs were wobbly and tired.<br />
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It was so different than where I had just come from (Barcelona, Catalunya), and from the (admittedly under-informed) image I have of, say Madrid or Sevilla. I also read in my limited research that the Basque Mountains are sometimes referred to as the "Spanish Alps" -- though this was merely a foothill compared to those, I can see it.<br />
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Somewhere on this map is the symbol of the Camino de Santiago. The <a href="http://caminoways.com/ways/northern-way-camino-del-norte" target="_blank">Camino del Norte</a> passes near Bilbao on its route along Spain's northern coast, from San Sebastian to Santiago. If the few hours I spent out around Bilbao is any indication of the rest of the camino, that seems like not a bad way to spend a couple months...</div>
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Something else this picture shows is the "amnistia" graffiti, which I began to notice as somewhat pervasive throughout the early part of this jaunt. The Basque people identify as very different from the rest of Spain, tack on unhealed wounds from the Spanish Civil War, and while the Basque nationalist or separatist mindsets continue, there was violence from the extreme wing of the separatist movement (the ETA) from the 1960s up through the early 2000s. The "amnistia" is for ETA prisoners, for whom there is still apparently strong sentiment for release. For an outsider who has a lot to learn, but it was an eye-opener to a just-beneath-the-surface but essential element of the region. Once I saw the "amnistia," I saw it tucked in pockets throughout the city. </div>
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I am still struck by how little I knew about this (still do) as, I think, an informed and globally-engaged adult. I guess not. A couple of (long-form) pieces on the history which I found very interesting. Both are admittedly written by an Brit and an American, respectively. It's history written by an "other," but I had a hard time finding alternatives written in English, rather than Spanish or Euskara (I'd welcome suggestions!)</div>
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<a href="http://www.gabrielsnapper.co.uk/bilbao-bloggings/city-of-terror-bilbao-eta-and-the-basque-conflict" target="_blank">"City of Terror? Bilbao, ETA, and the Basque Conflict"</a></div>
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<a href="https://thebluereview.org/rise-fall-eta/" target="_blank">"The Rise and Fall of ETA"</a> </div>
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And <a href="http://www.elcorreo.com/bizkaia/politica/201511/28/cientos-personas-marchan-bilbao-20151128191221.html" target="_blank">a news article about a 2,500-person demonstration</a>, only about a month ago (in Spanish, so, full disclosure, I only about 75% read/understood)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">"Pinxtos" which sounds like a dirty word in American Spanish.</td></tr>
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I asked my hosts where they would suggest some authentic Basque food after my hike, and they suggested pinxtos at <a href="http://www.cafeirunabilbao.net/" target="_blank">Cafe Iruna</a>. From there, I guess that would be in Bilbao's more downtown/commercial district. Old Town is just a short walk across the river. I was content to finish the day <a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/p/25-books.html" target="_blank">reading</a> in the small park across the street from the restaurant.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-4540506026108412462015-09-28T14:28:00.003-07:002015-09-28T14:40:07.177-07:00Montserrat (Barcelona side-trip)Got a little sidetracked! To be honest, I began writing this post over a month ago, and I just started to go in a really surprising direction. I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I decided to put it aside for a bit... and it ended up there for longer than I expected.<br />
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Our first full day in Barcelona was a free day before classes started the next day. The options were one of those <a href="http://www.barcelonacitytour.com/en/" target="_blank">hop-on-hop-off bus tours</a>, or... choose your own adventure. One of my travel buddies had the great suggestion of a day trip to the Santa Maria de Monserrat monastery, about an hour outside the city (by train.)<br />
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As much as, once I had to leave, I would have loved an extra day to explore Barcelona, I have no regrets spending this day away.<br />
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Montserrat</h2>
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The story is that the Virgin Mary appeared to some sheepherder children, they fetched the adults, she appeared to the adults, and they built the monastery on that site.</div>
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Up and away...</h3>
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To get to the city, which is somewhat touristed-out but still pretty awesome, you ride a death trap, dangling hundreds of yards (more appropriately, "metres") in the air from a cable of unknown age. I mean... It adds to the experience.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm87MIBUsL5FE0uuHqR2pRrqqgVdiL-829z8PTcdzDiiNjwdnGrgeA6DoleyZiG7YiuW5d3i6nZTQyekF0x23gMi8FziXkgmQTFo00qL__Y81C6v7DR3RWmy9j85C6ZHClOvkx2oxKoprl/s1600/IMG_20150608_104248255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm87MIBUsL5FE0uuHqR2pRrqqgVdiL-829z8PTcdzDiiNjwdnGrgeA6DoleyZiG7YiuW5d3i6nZTQyekF0x23gMi8FziXkgmQTFo00qL__Y81C6v7DR3RWmy9j85C6ZHClOvkx2oxKoprl/s320/IMG_20150608_104248255.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DOOOOOM! But not really.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_vyo5BZF81klp3ZbzpdpQdOWAh2Qw02oUAEaw_2sKsahz8QK8VL6SgXcBWY594PiRczVmgPoj2t6ACJB_7FUCpAE-73fuJjZGXmvoa1QHhVL6qAWGAjEHtmvm1SsshgMFCNFYJoD7ZVa/s1600/IMG_20150608_104516150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_vyo5BZF81klp3ZbzpdpQdOWAh2Qw02oUAEaw_2sKsahz8QK8VL6SgXcBWY594PiRczVmgPoj2t6ACJB_7FUCpAE-73fuJjZGXmvoa1QHhVL6qAWGAjEHtmvm1SsshgMFCNFYJoD7ZVa/s320/IMG_20150608_104516150.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You thought going up was terrifying?</td></tr>
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<h3>
The City</h3>
<div>
There are several holy sites in the city to visit, including the main monastery building and several more remote sites, as well as an expansive cafeteria and gift shop. Because this was a sort of last minute decision, we didn't do much research other than what we could pull up on the train and in the city. That would have been a good idea.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJxKW3KkKpnaIk_mOPftd5tBVXIANoN23S973OXldMz7IE1eZ-7pdTGxZC1HLvnMG4uOHUREbyhaTqbiBQeYUwXELJWx7o0BFJdFAH6VoYz4RQOOcMycXnqm3ciSZ3ZaPIq4GgBlG2b6Q/s1600/IMG_20150608_113901882.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZJxKW3KkKpnaIk_mOPftd5tBVXIANoN23S973OXldMz7IE1eZ-7pdTGxZC1HLvnMG4uOHUREbyhaTqbiBQeYUwXELJWx7o0BFJdFAH6VoYz4RQOOcMycXnqm3ciSZ3ZaPIq4GgBlG2b6Q/s320/IMG_20150608_113901882.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very Barcelona Knight Templar</td></tr>
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We had planned to see the <a href="http://www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com/en/attractions/black-madonna-montserrat-spain.html" target="_blank">Lady of Montserrat</a> statue, which is one of the rare and more famous "black Madonnas" in Europe. The line was longer than we'd liked, so we skipped in favor of a trip to the the <a href="http://www.montserrat-tourist-guide.com/en/attractions/santa-cova-montserrat.html" target="_blank">Santa Cova (or Holy Grotto)</a>, the cave where the vision is said to have appeared. It seemed the most reasonable to get to, and, besides, a cave? How awesome does that sound? It's only about a 20-30 minute walk, but it has some reasonably steep and strenuous spots. Tangent: I really need to get myself some bad-ass adventure babe sandals. This is the not the first time I have found myself sort-of-hiking in open-backed sandals while travelling (Exhibit A: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/vbwK4jnCUwpS4Jj49" target="_blank">Petra 2009. Not pictured: flip flops.</a>) Flip flops not recommended.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExuGx7wUA9wmmN5zyuXmsDXvBsXqIA2ULAN22-HurG6E7PElUv69HGXeDS2ek21RMkA582gZLfDFbwx-U-KhteCpjQj0MEgsa5pezUMz3VQHRR_4R98BsA9Hyo_GT2L7YutjzqbnGDYzk/s1600/IMG_20150608_120657187_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExuGx7wUA9wmmN5zyuXmsDXvBsXqIA2ULAN22-HurG6E7PElUv69HGXeDS2ek21RMkA582gZLfDFbwx-U-KhteCpjQj0MEgsa5pezUMz3VQHRR_4R98BsA9Hyo_GT2L7YutjzqbnGDYzk/s320/IMG_20150608_120657187_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The path to the cave</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDXUvQ7dmhwEqHaAiKvVAAVDf-0gSc9MYJ_AC7AQaORIV1uv-zSx26ms1qmu5Ucq7eou9GqZTRF567Qmhl7sKE0fUzKX-2yQdBm0du3NPefRgsJk1qkjXhZNGkWgmSoc2WzjdjhdLJXVT/s1600/IMG_20150608_121016277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDXUvQ7dmhwEqHaAiKvVAAVDf-0gSc9MYJ_AC7AQaORIV1uv-zSx26ms1qmu5Ucq7eou9GqZTRF567Qmhl7sKE0fUzKX-2yQdBm0du3NPefRgsJk1qkjXhZNGkWgmSoc2WzjdjhdLJXVT/s640/IMG_20150608_121016277.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the path to the cave</td></tr>
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The views from this walk were just spectacular. No picture could compare.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5P-yjiNtFb4ukvLW9xOfoGG_h36lBDhwud_4XZiFMu6WYFsLNS7kkSAWYLDvjeRiayfoa6jnQQv6MaJzb16raSGkM_gbuMkmuM0JSwgsQMpjetqwFNyBSvgRvM29uUuXiF9H0cD2Bdaj/s1600/IMG_20150608_122104477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5P-yjiNtFb4ukvLW9xOfoGG_h36lBDhwud_4XZiFMu6WYFsLNS7kkSAWYLDvjeRiayfoa6jnQQv6MaJzb16raSGkM_gbuMkmuM0JSwgsQMpjetqwFNyBSvgRvM29uUuXiF9H0cD2Bdaj/s320/IMG_20150608_122104477.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Offerings</td></tr>
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In the Santa Cova, there are offerings to the Virgin: wedding and confirmation dresses, babies' onesies, written letters and prayers, little trinkets and jewelry...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2F0WDOLMCW0/Vgmze-UnZwI/AAAAAAAAN5I/h8SVMSuG_BI/s1600/VID_20150608_133151464.mp4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2F0WDOLMCW0/Vgmze-UnZwI/AAAAAAAAN5I/h8SVMSuG_BI/s320/VID_20150608_133151464.mp4" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">EEK!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjSD4VBm3uda7854t2fdWxm5hritM0dWb0fJ_86iaVHSn7X3zw_YWoH9cifiYm5_iCq6P9eYoimy7Pj4Ceo1k2WJJjGv4FAsH6ScQ641rUFGt15XbnP5Q5hgaQlU_NRCeOYx29F_XpjnF/s1600/IMG_20150608_122150140_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCjSD4VBm3uda7854t2fdWxm5hritM0dWb0fJ_86iaVHSn7X3zw_YWoH9cifiYm5_iCq6P9eYoimy7Pj4Ceo1k2WJJjGv4FAsH6ScQ641rUFGt15XbnP5Q5hgaQlU_NRCeOYx29F_XpjnF/s320/IMG_20150608_122150140_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
I've decided that reflecting on Montserrat, and putting it into a blog post with some semblance of purpose has been complicated for a couple of reasons.<br />
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First, I am not a religious person, but I imagine the peace and wholeness that I feel in nature is similar to what others experience in a different context... A part of the universe in a way that is comparatively small yet also whole and significant. This kind of site was awesome, for me, to bask in the warmth of that shared human experience.<br />
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Second, and more unexpectedly perhaps, my grandmother used to love this stuff. When I was much younger and they were still pretty healthy, she and my grandfather used to go on trips all over to visit Catholic sites. It's been a tough year for my family (though back on the up!) but it's a site she'd be all about (the history of which begins with a vision of the Virgin Mary.) I couldn't help but reflect on the line of bad-ass women from which I descend. Girl power.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-74524588100816347782015-07-30T19:08:00.000-07:002015-07-30T19:08:00.255-07:00Barcelona<i>"What was your FAVORITE place you visited?"</i><br />
<br />
This is kind of a loaded question, and a difficult one to answer.<br />
<a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2015/07/europe-day-1-paris.html" target="_blank">Paris</a> is <a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2015/07/more-paris-and-travel-to-toulouse.html" target="_blank">definitely</a> a Life List item.<br />
<a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2015/07/toulouse.html" target="_blank">Toulouse</a> is a perfect dose of French-ness, in a small enough package to get to know and grow fond of in a week.<br />
Bilbao is breathtakingly beautiful and unique, and gave me some of the most vivid memories of the trip.<br />
Lisbon may have taken the title, but I was there such a short time (roughly 2 days) that I felt like we never really had a chance...<br />
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As a total package, though, I think my time in Barcelona may have been my favorite.<br />
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The night before I arrived in Barcelona, FC Barcelona had won the UEFA Champions League. I admittedly had no idea how that works (still don't), but apparently it's a big deal.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTRaVj7lof7F9CsdrNH2lY1n6TFloOftstQG2FWZwf3a7NB14HD75pJlVRq2Odn_74W_wMm_uuXqRUgYqCWGpLXmv27NhYnIsEDFXMH6uwSms630j4qycMwAsE8d2XKNJk3ssE7ZR9N8j/s1600/IMG_20150607_195645415-ANIMATION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoTRaVj7lof7F9CsdrNH2lY1n6TFloOftstQG2FWZwf3a7NB14HD75pJlVRq2Odn_74W_wMm_uuXqRUgYqCWGpLXmv27NhYnIsEDFXMH6uwSms630j4qycMwAsE8d2XKNJk3ssE7ZR9N8j/s320/IMG_20150607_195645415-ANIMATION.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FC Barcelona and smartphones win the day.</td></tr>
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The energy in Barcelona the next night for the victory parade was awesome. The celebration was surprisingly quick but completely electric. This double-decker bus with the team, a couple crowd-control segments and a few of "hype" sort of segments (spirit team, a radio station, some people on stilts...), and that's it.<br />
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You gotta admit it's fun to cheer for a winning team. <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Maybe that's why I'm a Patriots fan... looking at you, Ravens/Colts, Roger Goodell and various haters. Burn. #freeTB</i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqJLy90Ee8ktCLX3Aqq10znCboD6ymV8YcDhuf6HmrKQMKRD5zzv2P4F6_NCOF6JfFsmXzsDqkDhgzvydtWqKrNotvXf_pPrkAG5LORVv3IVobHoCmfLKK8OfA_3Pn2VuoKv9DXHRJHCN/s1600/IMG_20150608_215058942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqJLy90Ee8ktCLX3Aqq10znCboD6ymV8YcDhuf6HmrKQMKRD5zzv2P4F6_NCOF6JfFsmXzsDqkDhgzvydtWqKrNotvXf_pPrkAG5LORVv3IVobHoCmfLKK8OfA_3Pn2VuoKv9DXHRJHCN/s320/IMG_20150608_215058942.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This wonderful city</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKJ-l8LOWTiBk2X7XiBOv1QhxeFzFgVP4EAbpddxJNJPJ17Ut2NLV8Vsrsd491bYspLBgmiDG_fPdRjIVexccRCc7oN6lar-VN05-9CgdZPJVgBcpVAul5g5PK09rLfcpQt0hYmHwBOXP/s1600/IMG_20150608_180338364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKJ-l8LOWTiBk2X7XiBOv1QhxeFzFgVP4EAbpddxJNJPJ17Ut2NLV8Vsrsd491bYspLBgmiDG_fPdRjIVexccRCc7oN6lar-VN05-9CgdZPJVgBcpVAul5g5PK09rLfcpQt0hYmHwBOXP/s320/IMG_20150608_180338364.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mediterranean</td></tr>
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From the rooftop pool at my hotel (seriously) to the (imported) beach just a short stroll from city center, Barcelona is "urban beautiful" in a way I never understood until now.<br />
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<h3>
Casa Batllo and Sagrada Familia</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVR-pWaBrILVxFULcjo1PH3PQEHrFanCvtwHWJLAHFzt38-5L3K3xRlgRkGNA1Wfru8NHOxALcTV3E_I9BcPeE5Epo7EuEz_qyt60T4HulNWJ0bJyceAi64lXnazHVhH97VZ4DPBSNvcC_/s1600/IMG_20150609_190653974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVR-pWaBrILVxFULcjo1PH3PQEHrFanCvtwHWJLAHFzt38-5L3K3xRlgRkGNA1Wfru8NHOxALcTV3E_I9BcPeE5Epo7EuEz_qyt60T4HulNWJ0bJyceAi64lXnazHVhH97VZ4DPBSNvcC_/s320/IMG_20150609_190653974.jpg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuE-Nth6afnkBmcSbRiCMME73dxqbYXvILXVsk44Rx0Mf9CQ78nwi0g26rWlpsFPJqJmM2bVDqj9Xtorrvp_0Xc4rQogsck0CRGeDPbhV81_zkq4J0pqlfhQexWp-9WNAFDb-GepJ-QMaW/s1600/IMG_20150609_194249761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuE-Nth6afnkBmcSbRiCMME73dxqbYXvILXVsk44Rx0Mf9CQ78nwi0g26rWlpsFPJqJmM2bVDqj9Xtorrvp_0Xc4rQogsck0CRGeDPbhV81_zkq4J0pqlfhQexWp-9WNAFDb-GepJ-QMaW/s320/IMG_20150609_194249761.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrhQo1gFnxFnt2vkW_2oHhqqch-OxIgY7XEosrMxLluJOsizIr8SQFImxFSqKjYc7h3Z1Ia7y8I7nqKywceKSNuLb561nSdB7Rc3CsnMZLFUf6XSmKuavGAFvUoouc6qKgewDwbaeaoMY/s1600/IMG_20150613_102233499_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghrhQo1gFnxFnt2vkW_2oHhqqch-OxIgY7XEosrMxLluJOsizIr8SQFImxFSqKjYc7h3Z1Ia7y8I7nqKywceKSNuLb561nSdB7Rc3CsnMZLFUf6XSmKuavGAFvUoouc6qKgewDwbaeaoMY/s320/IMG_20150613_102233499_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A huge part of what makes Barcelona... well, Barcelona... is the architecture. There is such an wide range of breathtaking structures, with equally stop-you-in-your-tracks-gorgeous buildings of Gothic and Modern and just way cool buildings along the same street.</div>
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There are a handful of Antoni Gaudi works in and around Barcelona, and I visited two: <a href="https://www.casabatllo.es/en/" target="_blank">Casa Batllo</a> and <a href="http://www.sagradafamilia.org/en/" target="_blank">Sagrada Familia</a>. When you go to Barcelona, everyone raaaaves about the Sagrada Familia cathedral. It's a cool spot, so complex and intricate is its design that 100+ years after beginning construction, it is still unfinished, and it really is spectacular. Before visiting that landmark, I visited the Casa Batllo. Maybe it was the helpful audio guide on the Casa tour, maybe it was just that the house isn't on quite as grand a scale as the cathedral, <strike>maybe it was that I was a little hungover for my Sagrada visit,</strike> but I was able to appreciate the genius in the details of the Casa even more than the Sagrada. Both are unmissable. </div>
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The one Gaudi landmark I missed, and I regret missing, is <a href="http://www.parkguell.cat/en/" target="_blank">Park Guell</a>. I just ran out of time. I'll just have to go back. </div>
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To the sea...</h3>
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Nothing like a sunset catamaran ride on the Mediterranean.<br />
<h3>
Around town</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait, didn't you say this was a school trip?</td></tr>
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Moritz Brewery. Go there.<br />
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Barcelona loves creativity.<br />
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Not pictured, but another favorite of the trip, is the <a href="http://www.museupicasso.bcn.cat/en/" target="_blank">Picasso Museum</a>. It's literally all Picasso, and somewhat small, but the progression of the artist's development is amazing to see. It's not just watching the artist grow over a lifetime, it's like watching a movement evolve over the late-19th through early/mid-20th Century. I struggle to describe it; he was just that prolific. I can't even imagine how much he must have created that no one will ever see. The man must have done nothing but paint (and womanize.)<br />
<h3>
Casa Lolea</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxTUP9oEl15jTh6vTsRjkzUO5VUQda7Bmz0-OOsVyBkuKos6TiMEYJ0bappUxQ2TfBer9cOkJlah9PkRpvOSYPJqo2n00O-JNWHZWEUPLMP2MhInBpyi05ziVcClxyKtMO1KAOfwHjbM4/s1600/IMG_20150613_203654310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigxTUP9oEl15jTh6vTsRjkzUO5VUQda7Bmz0-OOsVyBkuKos6TiMEYJ0bappUxQ2TfBer9cOkJlah9PkRpvOSYPJqo2n00O-JNWHZWEUPLMP2MhInBpyi05ziVcClxyKtMO1KAOfwHjbM4/s200/IMG_20150613_203654310.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sangria, camembert+roasted garlic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E0M0hBlM55tRpxIzh1CQdLESj_lT2OkvWEPnSDn9T9jkRxC4swDo-o7jxkGg5aWtJlFPqY-5BZXnEmCUzacPGvVZEj3s_w-lp4rjqC8c9DJ6WOZTe6vCnkdCLzsviwN4sQ5aXIhcbKSY/s1600/IMG_20150613_194834111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4E0M0hBlM55tRpxIzh1CQdLESj_lT2OkvWEPnSDn9T9jkRxC4swDo-o7jxkGg5aWtJlFPqY-5BZXnEmCUzacPGvVZEj3s_w-lp4rjqC8c9DJ6WOZTe6vCnkdCLzsviwN4sQ5aXIhcbKSY/s200/IMG_20150613_194834111.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roquefort+honey+red pepper, patatas bravas</td></tr>
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Delicious. I ate my weight in patatas bravas, and I have no regrets. Except that some of my clothes didn't fit when I came home. Whatever, breathing is overrated.<br />
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Lovely and quiet walk through the deserted streets of downtown Barcelona on my way to the airport bus. Where nightclubs stay open until sunrise, Sunday morning streets belong to travelers on their way to catch a flight. By the way, how cute is this tiny little street? So many of these.</div>
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Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-81654743699156966862015-07-23T19:27:00.001-07:002015-07-23T19:28:18.056-07:00Toulouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Toulouse is an adorable little city, and the site of the first week of my study abroad.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXEcLTdcib0k89yOK35HO3GEuvpeuKuZYw88FQ8LQyvLKhj73g02y4dbB44On2YcXBvIFhDPeGyhP769j9n8MjeW-UICFa0EJpKSH5UVGBARYDKAk_aqHwe0_Ktfvph634nmvMEGTbX51/s1600/IMG_20150601_075248357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXEcLTdcib0k89yOK35HO3GEuvpeuKuZYw88FQ8LQyvLKhj73g02y4dbB44On2YcXBvIFhDPeGyhP769j9n8MjeW-UICFa0EJpKSH5UVGBARYDKAk_aqHwe0_Ktfvph634nmvMEGTbX51/s320/IMG_20150601_075248357.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snoop Dogg feat. Dr. Dre: Eat Croissants Everyday.</td></tr>
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(I mean, really it should be every (space) day, but I'm not here to tell anyone how to live his life.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWhPhV8Q5BEKm9tOczJJixqtnr3iAsrdfJUZJQXgRJ6kQFXhUwIxif4CINulCOtKyMgjCA3_XaAIbeVUGPyaQJtZ8l4Z_KwuP2_ejTOXs3pd2Hpw6PlTGoyqZ_RpJrDsIylXS6VStXggf/s1600/IMG_20150601_170028979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWhPhV8Q5BEKm9tOczJJixqtnr3iAsrdfJUZJQXgRJ6kQFXhUwIxif4CINulCOtKyMgjCA3_XaAIbeVUGPyaQJtZ8l4Z_KwuP2_ejTOXs3pd2Hpw6PlTGoyqZ_RpJrDsIylXS6VStXggf/s320/IMG_20150601_170028979.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitole de Toulouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThyphenhyphen_ziFcX6_9NJIHK5UnEJnvWFgBp6q7JPNsKDUcPLMTw6kECUZMRT4Kb0nb1BGIdAufe3whj6SF8izIpcMRcAm2cuq1h0Ta9QcsM0FuaDTvjv3i668zk2v7Y5Uv7OPjfLh3qINeogJRC/s1600/IMG_20150601_173703748_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThyphenhyphen_ziFcX6_9NJIHK5UnEJnvWFgBp6q7JPNsKDUcPLMTw6kECUZMRT4Kb0nb1BGIdAufe3whj6SF8izIpcMRcAm2cuq1h0Ta9QcsM0FuaDTvjv3i668zk2v7Y5Uv7OPjfLh3qINeogJRC/s320/IMG_20150601_173703748_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Basilique Saint-Sernin de Toulouse</td></tr>
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St. Sernin was once the largest cathedral in France (until the Notre Dame), thus the most popular pilgrimage site in France. It is on El Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), and you can have your passport stamped in the church. I did not.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSAohriFIs9ww1ki5tZFpBDfZnPm4Z7kjH_Q7cW1DMLNf7gBNZJ6mRFsDRcZngO59SxzNaxWXzul5C8H7psB5mzVvyB028XxRJd3BUaBlWc0LKAD-_Su4J88zUnx6I968doLYlyM9ptKl/s1600/IMG_20150601_181151392_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNSAohriFIs9ww1ki5tZFpBDfZnPm4Z7kjH_Q7cW1DMLNf7gBNZJ6mRFsDRcZngO59SxzNaxWXzul5C8H7psB5mzVvyB028XxRJd3BUaBlWc0LKAD-_Su4J88zUnx6I968doLYlyM9ptKl/s320/IMG_20150601_181151392_HDR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garrone</td></tr>
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This river made for a perfect a.m. jogging setting. So wonderful. I will jog at home and close my eyes and pretend I'm here. But not for too long, because that's dangerous.<br />
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The Youths hang out on the banks of the Garrone around this point on Friday and Saturday night. We thought we'd live like the locals on Friday and join them. It was authentic, but nothing makes an adult in her late-20s feel older than being surrounded by 17-year-olds making merriment.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gotcha</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9UP4NSQS_5KtvcQBAi2uCWCnkX5lwSqqOw_neVklT_nw2g5DoyIBpGyvLXEBxVSrX93uuje90_Rb7MRYHiHtxF4dFygkIP29bc-lszB4IzbtsuRSptA_TB3UXvx4GoSEJEAhREEoAcZ9/s1600/IMG_20150602_162441442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9UP4NSQS_5KtvcQBAi2uCWCnkX5lwSqqOw_neVklT_nw2g5DoyIBpGyvLXEBxVSrX93uuje90_Rb7MRYHiHtxF4dFygkIP29bc-lszB4IzbtsuRSptA_TB3UXvx4GoSEJEAhREEoAcZ9/s320/IMG_20150602_162441442.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the wine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More of the wine.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.lescavesdelamarechale.com/">Best. Meal. Ever.</a><br />
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This was food-induced euphoria. There was also a good deal of wine and an even greater deal of silliness. Everyone needs to experience, just once, being in a setting that is just way fancier than you or your behavior. As an adult. And to feel so embarrassed that you're having such a good time, but you're having too good a time to really let the weight of shame last long. Am I right?... You can't take me anywhere.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMs7PMJ0Fp3vZ3dbcScpeFPRNH_ma18aygXesCyChCrCDRlO40REIZ-TBXCK3TBXItjYeBjil3oa89JGGLOnx_Ciq3RGG4kTdmLRmChv5ZdOtxBqSokZGTjbG4vVp3WN431CfvTOODY0_/s1600/IMG_20150606_151018464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMs7PMJ0Fp3vZ3dbcScpeFPRNH_ma18aygXesCyChCrCDRlO40REIZ-TBXCK3TBXItjYeBjil3oa89JGGLOnx_Ciq3RGG4kTdmLRmChv5ZdOtxBqSokZGTjbG4vVp3WN431CfvTOODY0_/s320/IMG_20150606_151018464.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carcassone</td></tr>
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Visited a castle. Awesome.<br />
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<h2>
Pro Tips and Rookie Mistakes</h2>
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Pro Tip:</b> Drink all the wine. Just do it. The wine is amazing. The food is amazing. Drink all the wine. Gain all the pounds. It's fine.</li>
<li><b>Pro Tip (bonus):</b> I know I might be the minority here, but... <b>Toulouse > Paris</b>. Don't be mad. Paris is beautiful and romantic... and crowded and expensive. Toulouse is quaint and welcoming and reasonable. Paris obviously has an authentically and inimitably French culture vibe, but Toulouse oozes a much different, more laid-back French culture that I really loved.</li>
<li><b>Rookie Mistake:</b> I don't know, maybe I should have gotten my passport stamped at the church. I have so many empty pages. Now that the EU is all Shengened, I didn't get to fill up those pages like I could have 20 years ago.</li>
<li><b>Rookie Mistake (bonus):</b> Maybe I shouldn't have spent so much time at the English pub... No, that's ridiculous; I regret nothing.</li>
</ol>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-81405272861618016292015-07-19T10:00:00.000-07:002015-07-19T10:00:00.227-07:00More Paris and travel to Toulouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Paris, though undeniably one of the most beautiful cities I've ever seen, was not my favorite. It's more expensive and crowded (particularly in June and July)</div>
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If the first day was veritable sleepwalk through Paris, the second day was a reality TV show in which the contestants must SEE. ALL. THE. THINGS.</div>
<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Paris (EXTREME TOURIST EDITION)</h2>
<h3 style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Notre Dame Cathedral</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2rs1_hZvWNrjd6G03AGmIrTSJbUB5oEWIHhXP0Wc5pdI3_EWd91XMF6U3lIecvTS2yGERr4yqhcsB8p6BNrUGKI0fwkh8ClLgJekAibTW18i4aKmAU-fgl6sKIK5pyfhhZ-ZuIXT2Y5B/s1600/IMG_20150530_101908411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2rs1_hZvWNrjd6G03AGmIrTSJbUB5oEWIHhXP0Wc5pdI3_EWd91XMF6U3lIecvTS2yGERr4yqhcsB8p6BNrUGKI0fwkh8ClLgJekAibTW18i4aKmAU-fgl6sKIK5pyfhhZ-ZuIXT2Y5B/s320/IMG_20150530_101908411.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"SANCTUARY!" ...It's unfortunate that The Hunchback of Notre Dame was not a better Disney movie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkYaWyrnEVTXlFjrWquYbQBczZsme3YDUjywabhKMz3r1zF1n2G5Y7Rjb8yu5EwOfwARuoZpJ8xkLSiDrkgenWcNPdCUXnNKhyphenhyphenQzoKOgGpZZFCvGBXvS16IV1H9BVEfR3CPRPF-slzuPu/s1600/IMG_20150530_102851806_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkYaWyrnEVTXlFjrWquYbQBczZsme3YDUjywabhKMz3r1zF1n2G5Y7Rjb8yu5EwOfwARuoZpJ8xkLSiDrkgenWcNPdCUXnNKhyphenhyphenQzoKOgGpZZFCvGBXvS16IV1H9BVEfR3CPRPF-slzuPu/s320/IMG_20150530_102851806_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Incredible detail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Notre Dame Cathedral is definitely a "don't miss." The intricacy of the stained glass windows, chiseled stone facade, carved wooden accents and altars throughout the cathedral could absorb a full day of attention to detail. The exhibit which tracks the building and development of the cathedral beginning when the first structure was built on the "Île de la Cité" in the 12th Century was also a favorite.<br />
<br />
I was perfectly happy exploring the main level of the cathedral on my own sans tour (hello, free) and skipping the hour-plus line to go into the towers.<br />
<h3>
Eiffel Tower</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFk9LQItkGzwVbrzkTQGkhLLN4kgVYquUzyAswGpWXmxVEgdvIBcx_5hLTdTaGdhUCMZn8dXcSdCuIj-Wrerp0BJ0ngspMsWVz8eR1TpANY4wOPteV8LveCTbNM52zLEYjvPyzr4eZr5Z/s1600/IMG_20150530_153133966_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFk9LQItkGzwVbrzkTQGkhLLN4kgVYquUzyAswGpWXmxVEgdvIBcx_5hLTdTaGdhUCMZn8dXcSdCuIj-Wrerp0BJ0ngspMsWVz8eR1TpANY4wOPteV8LveCTbNM52zLEYjvPyzr4eZr5Z/s320/IMG_20150530_153133966_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
It's pretty cool to stand at the base and let the sloping iron lines draw your gaze up to the sky. It's iconic.<br />
It's also teeming with tourists (hi) and tourist traps.<br />
I did not get pickpocketed (great success!)<br />
I resisted the sellers of Eiffel Tower keychains ("5 for 1 euro!") and selfie sticks ("Selfie, selfie, selfie!")<br />
Everybody's gotta make a living.<br />
<h3>
Arc de Triomph</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSIbZ8nDVa8RFpRC3IgfUG8ie9ktkvZ48IeDKpdWz8i4TZcXV5MOH1JMePsbS_eKQwnDT7io31xCTeH-uLzGzC3fKguQ6qGDHBBVwml3ibdYmRb0qYp5_gkeFmOrqXT8LoSntP9N4Dzd1/s1600/IMG_20150530_165244980.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHSIbZ8nDVa8RFpRC3IgfUG8ie9ktkvZ48IeDKpdWz8i4TZcXV5MOH1JMePsbS_eKQwnDT7io31xCTeH-uLzGzC3fKguQ6qGDHBBVwml3ibdYmRb0qYp5_gkeFmOrqXT8LoSntP9N4Dzd1/s320/IMG_20150530_165244980.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fierce</td></tr>
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"There it is!"<br />
"Wait, there are like 6 busy lanes of traffic around it..."<br />
"Le Frogger?"<br />
Don't worry, there's an underground passageway.<br />
<h3>
Louvre</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQkyrC_Xa0dko895RZTjIyl7Be2U3eJH7-aJZ9DpBjMvHFtVI9nARbehuVbLecY5WitMzY0ohVQ8UfuNPUB1rLurg6N-p6yurw32frYpuMjcox4sRHu8vzJ8zsOa_MDNIQn-j9cuQHoqs/s1600/IMG_20150530_181836694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQkyrC_Xa0dko895RZTjIyl7Be2U3eJH7-aJZ9DpBjMvHFtVI9nARbehuVbLecY5WitMzY0ohVQ8UfuNPUB1rLurg6N-p6yurw32frYpuMjcox4sRHu8vzJ8zsOa_MDNIQn-j9cuQHoqs/s400/IMG_20150530_181836694.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This thing is huge.<br />
<h3>
Pont des Artes</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlUO-Z9YvW5wFbNnhrheFvIVehFxiXz1nQ47clhZqxtuO8fU4kx-kPwZBS_t4e7b-ijX8E5uPfHemhBj2rjX7jXAxGJ3hkibmcjuzVw9modxGx3S65syLUtrfUWMFfVABn0pn5K2G4LVl/s1600/IMG_20150530_185839588_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtlUO-Z9YvW5wFbNnhrheFvIVehFxiXz1nQ47clhZqxtuO8fU4kx-kPwZBS_t4e7b-ijX8E5uPfHemhBj2rjX7jXAxGJ3hkibmcjuzVw9modxGx3S65syLUtrfUWMFfVABn0pn5K2G4LVl/s320/IMG_20150530_185839588_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The love locks are all gone now, but it was pretty special to see them just two days before their official expulsion. Even so, there were still couples placing their locks. It's amazing they found somewhere to hook them onto; there are locks locked to locks so much that there is hardly any space left. It's a really lovely thought, but I can see how this would be an issue for centuries-old bridges.<br />
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Proceeded to pick up cheese, baguette and wine; and called it a night.<br />
<h3>
Place de la Bastille, July Column</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYKakBxli2URVwvdnYpa1C-b7po5LETeMP6Y6OAZZwsvTCY-EDDQ-3kBhHp9PoZxu54yl4BTACy04_4SpdJ_bp0NtjIPm0u1y4xmOfxfiqRlCehMEheUAPAUjEWBjs32JBhUTPFQc6IDl/s1600/IMG_20150531_093214498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYKakBxli2URVwvdnYpa1C-b7po5LETeMP6Y6OAZZwsvTCY-EDDQ-3kBhHp9PoZxu54yl4BTACy04_4SpdJ_bp0NtjIPm0u1y4xmOfxfiqRlCehMEheUAPAUjEWBjs32JBhUTPFQc6IDl/s320/IMG_20150531_093214498.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The handy Metro map had a Bastille stop, so we figured we'd hop off and take some pictures before hopping back on and making our way to catch the train to Toulouse.<br />
<h2>
Toulouse</h2>
<div>
For the full Eurotrip experience we nabbed tickets for a sleeper car, with the idea that we'd just nap all the way south to Toulouse. </div>
<div>
Apparently that is not the way it is done. The bottom 2 bunks on either side of the cabin were folded down into benches for six adults and one talkative toddler.</div>
<div>
The tickets were an incredible deal, so I regret nothing.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbqle1xY6lavmJyZmvS7ldCjKPZAgTU2pp5wYiNbVrEeQtxfngNhTy56wD11NCuvsavZ9ptPmnY833vjor_DHsCqTefLbQxV-McUh_J7B9dgaxPFcq1Snhzgf1nbEkStUlOqcsY30W0uk/s1600/IMG_20150531_220320473-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFbqle1xY6lavmJyZmvS7ldCjKPZAgTU2pp5wYiNbVrEeQtxfngNhTy56wD11NCuvsavZ9ptPmnY833vjor_DHsCqTefLbQxV-McUh_J7B9dgaxPFcq1Snhzgf1nbEkStUlOqcsY30W0uk/s320/IMG_20150531_220320473-EFFECTS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Capitole de Toulouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTC1UCkFp8zhUuYrBKR7EYqqSooIEs5of_oId-aSJ3C9Jb4FWyq2Zj9505bOiZLh8TQ9CYDXN659FkYax7eE51VsiIt7Xisn54eeqCP7beC3ixMMKRd_HASZrI9hNk25Fp5JKDaGEjsEIS/s1600/IMG_20150531_222137830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTC1UCkFp8zhUuYrBKR7EYqqSooIEs5of_oId-aSJ3C9Jb4FWyq2Zj9505bOiZLh8TQ9CYDXN659FkYax7eE51VsiIt7Xisn54eeqCP7beC3ixMMKRd_HASZrI9hNk25Fp5JKDaGEjsEIS/s320/IMG_20150531_222137830.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well-deserved gelato</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hotel check-in, followed by dinner on the capitol square, made for a perfect relaxing first night in Toulouse.<br />
<h2>
Pro Tips and Rookie Mistakes</h2>
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>Rookie Mistake: </b>The July Column is a spectacular and beautiful landmark, especially against a cloudy backdrop, but we walked around the Bastille plaza for a good 10 minutes trying to figure out where to see the actual Bastille... <b>Guys, the Bastille is no longer standing. </b>When did that happen, and why was I not informed? Oh, during the French Revolution? In the 18th Century? Never mind.</li>
<li><b>Pro Tip: </b>A good <b>international data plan is essential</b> for, among other things, Wikipedia-ing your destination to ensure it hasn't been destroyed for 300 years. Aside from my shameful gaps in history knowledge, I pitied my traveling companions who were tied to WiFi. Every crappy signal I've endured on T-Mobile in the States is worth it for having data rolled right into my plan, for no extra work or money.</li>
</ol>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-17949920780343799952015-07-17T10:04:00.002-07:002015-07-17T10:04:30.840-07:00Europe Day 1 (Paris)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I had grand plans to blog my epic adventure (GRAND plans). As you can see, that did not happen. Now fully re-assimilated back into the real world (yawn), I think a retrospective is in order. It's also therapeutic in accepting that I work an office job and my life is not one long Eurotrip (yet...)</div>
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Day 1 was, more accurately, 2 days. My travel buddy and I took off around 11am Thursday in Phoenix, landed around 10am Friday in Paris, and, aside from a few cat naps on the plane (so many movies to watch! so much excitement!) didn't sleep. Rather than sneaking in a few hours of sleep once we checked into the hotel, we freshened up and went right out into the city.</div>
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<a href="http://www.musee-rodin.fr/">Musee Rodin</a> was the plan, but by the time we got there, it was Friday afternoon and it appeared to be many others' plan. Plan B: skip it and wander. </div>
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Across the street from the Rodin Museum was a green space with armed guards at the entrance. Naturally, that seemed like a good idea.</div>
<br /><h3>
Esplanade des Invalides and Napoleon's Tomb</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9QTB7Knz5GRNMRsuY4mMiJZjqJdOwjLzKXUkbkNoKXZbGh5GLoFuKxkfzZ4OE0Jffo1ZU8mPJWbDMilAtv448g_PHMxY-RgDfXdpG7fxBJjcmrBkZGWsjyGkp8-PUHFmRUIiE29qU8vs/s1600/IMG_20150529_073435438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9QTB7Knz5GRNMRsuY4mMiJZjqJdOwjLzKXUkbkNoKXZbGh5GLoFuKxkfzZ4OE0Jffo1ZU8mPJWbDMilAtv448g_PHMxY-RgDfXdpG7fxBJjcmrBkZGWsjyGkp8-PUHFmRUIiE29qU8vs/s320/IMG_20150529_073435438.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many panorama shots were taken.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ-bg30Npwv4izIGRSg0oDQlbfqyFFo4ba5-_NI8KNlm3rjWeDn7sR2NBi9i-_PVB2VknQx-JJbTzoe78JKb30gs_5G7G8x-eR2pQloVUdaMKTAz3PnVhM5BNYTnm5Cnb8tozXNLAkSEu/s1600/IMG_20150529_073315998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ-bg30Npwv4izIGRSg0oDQlbfqyFFo4ba5-_NI8KNlm3rjWeDn7sR2NBi9i-_PVB2VknQx-JJbTzoe78JKb30gs_5G7G8x-eR2pQloVUdaMKTAz3PnVhM5BNYTnm5Cnb8tozXNLAkSEu/s320/IMG_20150529_073315998.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Napoleon's Tomb</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaWhnxnRl-0FpdQNAlXbsig1kftRUf8tempn5-rxu36Yhn2PqPidHUXqxRwWuQTK4JuYvExlHaLUQqM4NNJhqxTGzz6aaNLXJqv9A0zYm-HO5m8TfL_4V84sdrhVRU2J36IHOi_JSRCLv/s1600/IMG_20150529_074507566_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaWhnxnRl-0FpdQNAlXbsig1kftRUf8tempn5-rxu36Yhn2PqPidHUXqxRwWuQTK4JuYvExlHaLUQqM4NNJhqxTGzz6aaNLXJqv9A0zYm-HO5m8TfL_4V84sdrhVRU2J36IHOi_JSRCLv/s320/IMG_20150529_074507566_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I knew more about this sculpture. I was fascinated. </td></tr>
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The map (touristing so hard) showed another huge green space nearby. I want to go to there.</div>
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<h3>
Le Jardin du Luxembourg</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqQ7SGklUntpHCNGh-uxySsOjxP0l7IqywEovsTLN9yMGpZsnyvTPGuI-VESc_roakUaZxWdz5_85TydiPN1JgNjoH4Znk41rg2h_qSKXVBodgudxrA3xJFW2hYMi-M9F0N63CK6tN0Xi/s1600/IMG_20150529_092040691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRqQ7SGklUntpHCNGh-uxySsOjxP0l7IqywEovsTLN9yMGpZsnyvTPGuI-VESc_roakUaZxWdz5_85TydiPN1JgNjoH4Znk41rg2h_qSKXVBodgudxrA3xJFW2hYMi-M9F0N63CK6tN0Xi/s320/IMG_20150529_092040691.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palais de Luxembourg</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLASI6b42P2cac-jfCCR8qlNKZ1gio949rnKJoBzU6i4VVqUG7iPUZoGQp6v9Dsl0Uzj4G-MBFlKks6c3hSU7-bo0OLk0jhwaL4Rrjq62_EjSCgZH-LzWOtxOgSAYQzMVquQgFDckLZd8/s1600/IMG_20150529_092854769_HDR-ANIMATION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLASI6b42P2cac-jfCCR8qlNKZ1gio949rnKJoBzU6i4VVqUG7iPUZoGQp6v9Dsl0Uzj4G-MBFlKks6c3hSU7-bo0OLk0jhwaL4Rrjq62_EjSCgZH-LzWOtxOgSAYQzMVquQgFDckLZd8/s320/IMG_20150529_092854769_HDR-ANIMATION.gif" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">20 statues of noble and notable French women surround the main plaza. Dig it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeyqmVqTAU-aEVk95aagisfMZPTz7LbPb3rDCgbdBozLw4cyx9UEu1x1VXVlLQjalES9suMl684feXRO3GIahcN8DWO-IDL4a85iPZsdOakx9_MaQ_9QiC8dklVwM6IXDZGjzyq_0w2a1/s1600/IMG_20150529_093844910_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHeyqmVqTAU-aEVk95aagisfMZPTz7LbPb3rDCgbdBozLw4cyx9UEu1x1VXVlLQjalES9suMl684feXRO3GIahcN8DWO-IDL4a85iPZsdOakx9_MaQ_9QiC8dklVwM6IXDZGjzyq_0w2a1/s320/IMG_20150529_093844910_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Much love for Eugene Delacroix.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NLiXQHdLlM6izZtILVriTsunCyIDzSCw6iHzOPpk718fvzlSVdKDOiFbY_ybNQI9wE9-NwlVJ8RB9A93u3lHIq74uovZM4y9d_tntrkk_DRG-s6wR4Wj2dspjEfVF3o83Bn5Q-6l5Qeb/s1600/IMG_20150529_094344433_HDR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NLiXQHdLlM6izZtILVriTsunCyIDzSCw6iHzOPpk718fvzlSVdKDOiFbY_ybNQI9wE9-NwlVJ8RB9A93u3lHIq74uovZM4y9d_tntrkk_DRG-s6wR4Wj2dspjEfVF3o83Bn5Q-6l5Qeb/s320/IMG_20150529_094344433_HDR.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing roses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Absolutely gorgeous. I could have spent a whole day wandering around these lush grounds, people-watching, or just reading a book and sipping wine.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Pro Tips and Rookie Mistakes</h2>
<div>
<ol>
<li><b>Pro tip: power through.</b> Despite ending the day tired and hangry, skipping the nap was a good choice. Other than being a little tired the next day, I escaped jet lag.</li>
<li><b>Rookie mistake: plan ahead... some.</b> I'm glad we wandered. It put much less pressure on that first day, and it allowed us to discover some off-the-beaten-path gems. A wise plan would have been finding some possible places to eat and take breaks. By evening I was so hangry I could have eaten my travel buddy, and that is not nice.</li>
</ol>
</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-64175712790312728502015-05-27T13:40:00.001-07:002015-05-27T13:40:17.281-07:00THIS JUST IN:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/24/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-bilbao-spain.html?WT.mc_id=2015-MAY-LIVINGPROPSQ-AUD_DEV-0501-0531&WT.mc_ev=click&ad-keywords=MAYAUDDEVFB&_r=0" target="_blank">36 Hours in Bilbao, Spain</a><br />
<br />
New York Times, you get me.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-75693537456486033952015-05-19T12:55:00.000-07:002015-05-27T13:40:48.848-07:00Europe decisions: MADEOption 3 it is.<br />
<br />
Barcelona to Bilbao<br />
Bilbao to Lisbon<br />
Lisbon to Paris<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ricksteves.com/europe" target="_blank">Rick Steves</a> was sending me not-so-subliminal messages last week on his "Explore Europe" home screen.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXgAWjfAhWC3n49nO0zbJO8EiMi1OnQ5CA_HKpwOwOIStJl4gAJ3tbNuPfk5B8fTcFjwJHMrhgfFXygncCtl8reMHjHqMcxF0xyfaJxFzTAAVRA5IMGcRf5k-x4otBHHgLmUnzZF6Am0f/s1600/2015-05-12rickstevesportugal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXgAWjfAhWC3n49nO0zbJO8EiMi1OnQ5CA_HKpwOwOIStJl4gAJ3tbNuPfk5B8fTcFjwJHMrhgfFXygncCtl8reMHjHqMcxF0xyfaJxFzTAAVRA5IMGcRf5k-x4otBHHgLmUnzZF6Am0f/s640/2015-05-12rickstevesportugal.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You win, Steves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Also, not too long after, I found this:<br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/05/travel/-2015-04-05-travel-what-to-do-in-36-hours-in-lisbon.html?_r=0">36 Hours in Lisbon</a><br />
<br />
Perfect.<br />
<br />
Intercontinental travel booked.<br />
AirBnB requests sent.<br />
<br />
I find it mildly amusing that Portugal was nowhere on my list of possible places to go when I started cooking up this crazy idea. Sometimes, that is the best.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-33080368605855443182015-05-12T11:55:00.001-07:002015-05-12T13:53:03.525-07:00Europe decisionsI submitted my last paper of the MBA last night at about 8:30, immediately proceeding to dance jubilantly throughout the house, proclaiming triumphant victory... At which point Jack reminded me that I still have to go to class in Europe. Minor detail.<br />
<br />
Never having studied abroad, and hearing great reviews from friends who participated last summer, I decided to sign up for a two-week study abroad trip to France and Spain. I'll spend one week in Toulouse then a second week in Barcelona, both through the <a href="http://www.tbs-education.fr/en" target="_blank">Toulouse Business School</a>.<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I am stoked.<br />
<br />
I scheduled some extra time before and after, because... well, when is the next time I'll spend 3+ weeks in Europe? I am all set for Paris for 2 days before the program, and I have a week to fill after the program. With all the crazy school/work/life stuff that's been going on, I'm just starting to narrow down how to fill that week.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Considerations:</span></b><br />
<b>Time </b>-- I only have one week; less than that if you factor in getting back to Paris by Friday, leaving Barcelona Sunday, and travel time in between.<br />
<b>Budget </b>-- I have been saving for a while, so I have a reasonable chunk budgeted for this trip. Flights, hotels, food, and excursions, however cheap individually, add up quickly.<br />
<b>Interest </b>-- There's really nowhere I wouldn't like to go. Heathrow on a stopover to <a href="http://juliesinjordan.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jordan </a>is the extent of my Europe experience, so I have a lot of untouched ground to cover.<br />
<b>Language </b>-- If I had a dollar for every time someone said "everyone speaks English in Europe!"... This is a more minor consideration; still I would like to be able to buy a train ticket without sounding like a complete American idiot. My Spanish is... passable. I know like 5 French words, so there's that.<br />
<br />
The only real requirement is I must begin in Barcelona on Sunday (Saturday is OK, but Sunday is hotel check-out,) and I must end in Paris on Friday (flight is Saturday.)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Options:</span></b><br />
<b>1.</b><br />
Barcelona to Monaco<br />
Monaco to Bilbao<br />
Bilbao to Lisbon<br />
Lisbon to Paris<br />
<br />
<b>2.</b><br />
Barcelona to Gibraltar<br />
Gibraltar to Lisbon<br />
Lisbon to Bilbao<br />
Bilbao to Paris<br />
<br />
<b>3.</b><br />
Barcelona to Bilbao<br />
Bilbao to Lisbon<br />
Lisbon to Paris<br />
<br />
<b>4.</b><br />
Barcelona to somewhere in France<br />
Miscellaneous France travels to Paris in time for my flight home<br />
<br />
I think I like #3. There are plenty of opportunities for excursions in the Basque region (nearby Rioja wine region, majestic ocean cliffs, etc.)<br />
<br />
Decisions, decisions...Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-68821309911399406182015-05-11T13:21:00.001-07:002015-05-11T13:21:52.033-07:00School's out foreverI've been looking back on a lot of the casual conversations I had 18-24 months ago -- drinking a glass of wine on the couch with my partner, eating falafel for dinner with a friend, driving home from work on the phone with my mom -- the "should I or shouldn't I?" conversations before I decided "I should (probably.)"<br />
<br />
And now this.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Graduate school has been an incredible experience, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who has the interest, the time, and the resources to commit to herself such an undertaking. I didn't really know what I was doing with my life ("didn't"? well... sometimes "don't") so I am glad I thought a lot about it, but I'm glad I took what felt a lot like a leap of faith at the time. I still might not have it "all together," but it feels damn good to be closer than ever.<br />
<br />
There are so many amazing things to reflect on, but I tried to narrow it down for a blog post. These 10 are my favorites.<br />
<br />
<b>1. Conquering accounting and finance classes.</b><br />
I was an English major for my undergraduate degree. Cost accounting and portfolio management are a far cry from literary criticism and Renaissance drama -- but I made it. And you know what, I did a pretty kickass job of learning.<br />
<b>2. Finding common ground.</b><br />
Like a lot of people, I exist in a comfortable bubble of people who think a lot like I do. My friends have similar political and world views, so to enter a new group of people sometimes means being reminded that everyone does not think like me.<br />
<b>3. New friends.</b><br />
To that same end, I met some pretty cool people, most of whom I would never have met or gotten to know without this program. It hasn't been all lectures and group homework; it's also Vegas trips, post-class beers, and weddings. Some of these relationships won't last long past graduation, and that's OK, but some will.<br />
<b>4. Patience. </b><br />
I've also come to appreciate my more established relationships. Friends and family being patient when I have to say no to group dinners and gatherings, work giving me a pass when I can't make it to another evening or weekend event, my partner doing extra dishes and laundry without complaint, and everyone generally putting up with me when I'm stressed out and a little crazy: these things make me even more appreciative of the wonderful people in my life.<br />
<b>5. Studying abroad. </b><br />
Ok, so this is future tense. I did not study abroad in undergrad, and it's not that I've had regrets... I've just wondered. At the end of this month, I'll go to France and Spain to take a couple more classes in international management and finance. More on that later.<br />
<b>6. Winning.</b><br />
MBA-types thrive on competition (surprise!), and professors absolutely exploit this with projects in which teams are ranked against one another. I look back with such satisfaction on being on a team that "won" our simulation exercise for International Marketing, on helping to put together a "best" strategy analysis for Strategic Management, and on kicking comparative ass. Victory is so sweet.<br />
<b>7. Generally testing my mettle. </b><br />
Balancing school, work, family, friends, and sanity is not for the faint of heart. Especially in the last 2 months... there has been a lot of shit going on. I feel pretty awesome for getting it all handled.<br />
<b>8. Being educated.</b><br />
Every time my mom tells me I'm the only one in our family except my grandmother to get a graduate degree (which she kind of tells me a lot)... I feel this little tug toward my grandmother (even though mom usually follows that up with "it was the only degree that didn't require any math"... *facepalm*) and proud to be part of the female majority in graduate education attainment.<br />
<b>9. Speaking of which -- the ladies. </b><br />
The women in the MBA program are the most awesome. Not to knock the men who are intelligent and driven in their own right, but the women make me hopeful for the future of the workforce and grateful to be a part of it. Also -- grateful to live in the time and place, under the circumstances, in which I do.<br />
<b>10. Vindication -- vegetarian food is better. </b><br />
I've written before about free food. I'll ever be too old for free food. Free food is awesome. There is always one vegetarian option, ordered in a much smaller portion. Without fail, the vegetarian option is gone in minutes, while the meaty entree languishes in its chafing dish, destined for the garbage. Everyone. Prefers. Vegetarian. Food.<br />
<br />
That's a wrap, I guess.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-72905837783870357892015-01-07T12:26:00.001-07:002015-01-07T12:26:56.294-07:002014 book tallyI wanted to read 25 books in 2014.<br />
I was not so awesome. The MBA gods were unkind.<br />
<br />
BUT I made it to 15, which is not too shabby for a full-time working professional and full-time student! I'll take it. I am updating my books page for 2015 and putting this here.<br />
<ol>
<li><b><i>Divergent</i></b>; Veronica Roth</li>
<ul>
<li>I am sad that I didn't enjoy this more. I think it's because it wasn't the Hunger Games and Tris does not even approach Katniss badass status. Maybe in the next books? We'll see if I get there... Also: less teenage lovey dovey, more overthrow of corrupt system, please.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>Night Film</i></b>; Marisha Pessl</li>
<ul>
<li>OK. This book, sometimes... SO SCARY. I needed lights turned on. I needed puppy cuddles. It also has a really interesting multimedia element -- there is an app you can download (I read the hardcover version, so I'm not sure how the ebook would work), and scan symbols hidden throughout the book for extra content. It's always a surprise what comes up (video? text? audio?), so that's fun. Throughout the book also, the text is interspersed with clips from magazine articles, photos with "handwritten" captions, etc. I can see how other readers might find this gimmicky or a novelty distracting from the story... but I thought it was cool. It's a mystery, so these are like little pieces of evidence that are being revealed to the reader and the protagonist side by side. Like I said, the story was very suspenseful and engaging. Other reviewers on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18770398-night-film?from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads </a>were disappointed in the ending, but I found it oddly poignant and just... heartbreaking. Months later, I still think about it.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>Chew Vol. 1: Taster's Choice</i></b>; John Layman (art Rob Guillory) (Yes, short volumes in graphic series count. My goal, my rules.)</li>
<ul>
<li>Light. Funny. Crude. Gross. Entertaining. Awesome art.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>Chew Vol. 2: International Flavor</i></b>; John Layman</li>
<ul>
<li>Same as above.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>The Shining</i></b>; Stephen King</li>
<ul>
<li>I think it was 6th grade when I got really into Stephen King books and other pulpy, imaginative, high-action fiction. Oddly enough, though, I didn't read <i>The Shining</i> until after watching a documentary on Netflix called <a href="http://www.room237movie.com/" target="_blank">Room 237</a>. It is kind of a kooky movie. It's all about hidden symbols and diversions from King's original story which Kubrick intentionally used in the making of the movie. Kooky... but interesting. The book starts slow but gets <i>really scary. </i>Scarier than the movie. Something about inanimate objects taking on evil intentions (hedge animals... I just can't) which the movie did not capture and which gave me nightmares while reading the book. It is certainly interesting to see the differences between the movie and the book. Now I need to watch the movie again from the perspective of having read the book.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>Doctor Sleep</i></b>; Stephen King</li>
<ul>
<li>This is the sequel to The Shining, which I would definitely recommend reading first. What's with all the scary books this year? This book catches up with Danny, the kiddo from The Shining. It turns out that "shining" is much like other traits that are relatively harmless in children but become kind of devastating in adulthood. I read this immediately after The Shining. Throughout The Shining, it's pretty clear that life is really never going to get that much easier for this kid -- whatever that means -- so it's good to catch up with him. It carries on and expands on the idea of "shining" -- Danny is kind of isolated in his "gift" as a kid, but he begins to understand and meet others like him. Danny has a sort of second coming of age, which is very satisfying to read. While it's not as scary as The Shining, and I do not think it carries itself enough as a standalone (nor, honestly, does it intend to,) it's a suspenseful, enjoyable read.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>Watchmen</i></b>; Alan Moore (art Dave Gibbons)</li>
<li><b><i>Saga Vol. 1;</i></b> Brian K. Vaughan (art Fiona Staples)</li>
<ul>
<li>Alana is a badass, Marcus is a hunk, and Hazel is a really fun narrator. I totally love Fiona Staples's art; it is so beautifully vibrant (without being cartoony) and expressive (without being too serious). I'm going to stick with this series.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>Saga Vol. 2;</i></b> Brian K. Vaughan</li>
<li><a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-acacia-war-with-mein-by.html" target="_blank"><b><i>Acacia: War with the Mein (Acacia #1);</i></b> David Anthony Durham</a></li>
<li><a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2014/07/book-review-dark-knight-returns-by.html" target="_blank"><b><i>The Dark Knight Returns;</i></b> Frank Miller</a></li>
<li><b><i>Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief</i></b>; Lawrence Wright</li>
<li>The Goal, Eliyahu Goldratt</li>
<ul>
<li>Required reading for an MBA course billed as a "novel." SPOILER ALERT: if you have a multi-step process, speed up the slowest one first, before you look at any of the other steps. Now you don't have to read it. Terrible. Just... terrible. It was a novel, so I'm counting it. And it was a comically awful experience, so upping my book count is the one bright spot.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>The Year of the Flood (Maddaddam #2)</i></b>; Margaret Atwood</li>
<ul>
<li>Awesome trilogy -- Finished Maddaddam (Maddaddam #3) in the first days of 2015, so at least I have a head start on that list.</li>
</ul>
<li><b><i>The Magicians (Magicians #1)</i></b>; Lev Grossman</li>
<ul>
<li>Also fantastic! Can't wait to read the next two over the summer or </li>
</ul>
<li><strike>The Likeness, Tana French</strike></li>
<ul>
<li><strike>In progress...</strike> never finished (oops)</li>
</ul>
<li><strike>Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat; Hal Herzog</strike></li>
<ul>
<li><strike>In progress...</strike> never finished (oops)</li>
</ul>
<li><strike>The Other Lands (Acacia #2)</strike></li>
<ul>
<li>never finished (oops)</li>
</ul>
</ol>
Goodreads is seriously the only way I can keep track. Whenever I hear about an interesting book on the radio, or a friend makes a recommendation, I try to pull up the app and add it to my "to read" shelf. There are currently <strike>353</strike> 445 books on that shelf. I will never make it through.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-46789146220065001562014-11-13T19:30:00.000-07:002014-11-13T19:30:01.457-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Business school classes love to talk about opportunity cost. Though it's definitely worth it (so far... I think... I hope,) I've been thinking a lot lately about what I'm missing in exchange for Saturday electives and Sunday study sessions. Spurts of reading over breaks are wonderful and welcome, but it's harder to really focus on the things that bring me joy (other than learning.)</div>
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Which brings me to this: It's been over a year since I've been on a legit hike. It's been way too long since I've been on <u style="font-weight: bold;">any</u> hike. So, in honor of what I'm told the kids call "Throwback Thursday," a throwback to the most legit hike I've ever done. </div>
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My dad hiked the Deadman Canyon loop in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks a few years ago with some friends (guy stuff), and it seemed like as soon as he got back he was planning his next hike. Dad loves hiking, and not just that -- he is really smart about it. He knows what he and the group needs, and while he tracks his gear and food inventory, striving to knock off one more ounce like a golfer working on his score, he has little interest in yuppie backpacker nonsense (my characterization -- of course not his) like <a href="http://www.rei.com/product/864087/marmot-plasma-0-sleeping-bag" target="_blank">$700 sleeping bags</a>. He truly and fully enjoys the journey but never loses sight of how many miles to the next campsite and hours until dusk. The things that make my dad great in hiking also make him great in life -- I could write a whole post about dadisms learned while hiking.</div>
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<a href="http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=2714830" target="_blank">There's a map here of the Deadman Canyon Loop</a>, which is basically what we did -- we deviated on our last day to cut off a few miles, but for the most part, this is the route.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_vskS-LinI/UgncFcicPEI/AAAAAAAACfM/dwA04PlboqA/s1600/IMAG0618.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5_vskS-LinI/UgncFcicPEI/AAAAAAAACfM/dwA04PlboqA/s320/IMAG0618.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Twin Lakes (above) was our second campsite. It was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen (until the next day... then again the next day, then...) It was a fairly short distance from our camp the night before (I want to say 2.2 miles?), but it is a pretty solid elevation gain (2700 ft) for so early in the journey, so we stayed to avoid altitude sickness.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tALsgNHN-Gk/UgskaQ-GTRI/AAAAAAAACfs/nzIedkEIyFo/s1600/IMAG0637.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tALsgNHN-Gk/UgskaQ-GTRI/AAAAAAAACfs/nzIedkEIyFo/s320/IMAG0637.jpg" width="191" /></a></div>
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My pack, complete with duct tape patch and solar panel. High and low tech, people; it is the total PACKage. I'll show myself out.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rP5-CHCu8h8/UgvG6J0qFRI/AAAAAAAACoo/fO42OR4kFUY/s1600/IMAG0786.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rP5-CHCu8h8/UgvG6J0qFRI/AAAAAAAACoo/fO42OR4kFUY/s320/IMAG0786.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Heaven. Elizabeth Pass is in the distance, which was kind of like hell. Beautiful, strenuous, hell.</div>
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This is the view from a section of the High Sierra Trail, and it is also ridiculous.</div>
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More ridiculous scenery.</div>
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Sometime after May 2015, I'll have another adventure. Until then, I will lament in my shoddy history education and try to understand how the ef the EU works.</div>
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Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-41173999755194473832014-10-30T13:56:00.000-07:002014-10-30T13:56:21.450-07:00It's officially 2pm snack attack time when...You are distracted by an article you think is entitled "Favorite All-Natural Vegan <b>Doughnuts</b>"<br />
<br />
...only to realize it is actually "<a href="http://www.veganbeautyreview.com/2014/10/vegan-deodorants.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=vegan-deodorants" target="_blank">Favorite All-Natural Vegan <b>Deodorants</b></a>"<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I guess that's cool, too.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-85216513071330660832014-10-23T10:16:00.000-07:002014-10-23T10:16:44.540-07:00workout plan1. Take a couple weeks off from the gym due to... let's go with "extenuating circumstances." <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(read: work events, study sessions, plague of happy hours, and a comfy couch. Wait, forget those last two.)</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
2. Finally get back to the gym. Make it count.</div>
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<br /></div>
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3. Too much counting; proceed to be sore for about a week.</div>
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<br /></div>
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4. Take some time off to heal. Take some extra time off because... well, you know.</div>
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<br /></div>
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5. Repeat.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-48301824651954005392014-09-27T08:56:00.000-07:002014-09-27T08:56:23.629-07:00"I put you down for the vegan meal. Let me know if that's OK."The deadline to RSVP to a wedding of a friend of a friend recently passed. She and I are not super close, but we casually keep in touch.<br />
<br />
It was kind of a late-notice invitation, so instead of immediately saying YESYESYES (which is my natural response... because weddings are the best), I had to think about it for a minute.<br />
<br />
It was pretty easy to refute all the cons (Must buy present? -- that is why I have an "other" budget. Flying solo? -- since when has not having a date stopped you from doing anything. Do I really <i>need </i>to be there? -- if you're important enough to invite, you're important enough to be there.)<br />
<br />
But the easiest hesitation to dismiss: <b>Will there be anything to eat?</b> And, you know, I was a little mad at myself for a moment for even going there.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is a lifestyle that's totally compatible with any and all special moments <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(provided the special moment isn't, I don't know, a pig roast. But maybe you could even make that work)</span></i>. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It is not a lifestyle of restriction and denial, it is a lifestyle of <b>mindful abundance</b>.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
Anyway, so put me down for one more in 2014. Next weekend, to be exact. So, that makes three this year.</div>
<div>
Who's next? Do I hear a fourth?<br />
<br /></div>
After making a mental note to eat before leaving and to pack a couple snacks, and before popping the card in the mail, I text to let her know I'm coming RSVP (Emily Post would not approve, but pragmatism wins when you're 2 weeks out from the event).<br />
<br />
"I put you down for the vegan meal. Let me know if that's OK."<br />
<br />
What the kale??? How great is this gal? How great are weddings?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-5581377569652161392014-09-17T23:15:00.000-07:002014-09-17T23:29:04.839-07:00"The Street"So, school is hard.<br />
<br />
Well... work is hard. and school. and working out (erm... not working out but feeling guilty and lazy and tired for it.) and tending to the fur babies. and keeping up with <a href="http://www.netflix.com/WiMovie/70180183" target="_blank">Netflix</a>. You know. Important stuff.<br />
<br />
Anyway, we've covered how sometimes people say funny things in the MBA. Sometimes people make a comment about how it's important to consider a company's "performance on the street," as it is impacted by financial decision making and reporting and etc.<br />
<b>"performance on the street."</b><br />
Um... do you mean the much more straightforward term "stock price"? All in attendance nod knowingly, and I'm like... did you say what I think you said? It's not that bad, it just makes me feel like I feel when people use the words "exquisite" and "exhilarating" in non-ironic, casual conversation. I think I just have weird word triggers. Evidently that is one.<br />
<br />
Also, I picture a corporate fat cat doing a jig in a top hat and <a href="http://kinkybootsthemusical.com/" target="_blank">red thigh-high, high-heeled boots</a>. Wait, the top hat is on the sidewalk collecting tuppence. Wait, the corporate fat cat is an actual cat.<br />
<br />
Is that a normal thing to say: "the street"? I know with websites and wonks it ain't no thang, but for a human in real life? Is it just me? Is "exhilarating" a normal thing for a human IRL to say? "tuppence"? "ain't no thang"?Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-12791713377402283612014-08-11T12:00:00.000-07:002014-08-11T12:00:01.151-07:00MBA jokesThe countdown to Year 2 continues.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Q: What did 2 Chainz study in b school?<br />
A: Supply CHAINZ<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Q: What did the two economists talk about in the cold pool?<br />
A: Shrinkage in the private sector.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This is the part I look forward to.<br />
No, I'm... I'm being serious.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-79921386043447907462014-08-06T17:13:00.000-07:002014-08-06T17:24:38.950-07:00Cold, Cruel RealityIt happened last night.<br />
<br />
I was lounging on my couch, peacefully watching an episode of The Wire with the man after returning home from a weeknight friend dinner date, when a terrible realization disturbed my idyll.<br />
<br />
<b>School officially starts* in 10 days.</b><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.giphy.com/media/n7Kv7tLf2UzMk/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media.giphy.com/media/n7Kv7tLf2UzMk/giphy.gif" height="135" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad beep is right, R2-D2.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I've been working out regularly, reading interesting/fun books, sleeping 8 hours, <i>keeping up with my laundry</i> (!!!) for the last month...<br />
<br />
It's like I'm a normal, functioning adult.<br />
<br />
But the party's over (almost.)<br />
<br />
I'll miss you, summer.<br />
<br />
Then I realized -- <b>all is not lost</b>. Week-long vacation starts in 14 days, my first class isn't for another 26 days, then graduation is in... I don't know, like 250 days or so.<br />
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It's going to be OK.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Classes start on the 21st. Pre-coursework opens on the 15th. This is homework before classes even begin. I find this unjust.Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-73046231012379069632014-07-29T12:30:00.000-07:002014-07-29T12:30:01.771-07:00Book Review - The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank MillerI signed up for a <a href="https://www.coursera.org/course/comics">Coursera course in Comic Books and Graphic Novels</a>, and I have been working my way through the recommended reading list. This was in the top 3 books. Apparently it's a big deal?<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
OK. I liked it. I did. I can see how it's probably visionary and a masterpiece and stuff... <i><b>but</b></i>... I did not love it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I'm not really into superhero comics, so that sort of put me at a disadvantage for appreciating this. It's <i>not</i> a typical superhero comic, so that helps. This was also my first Batman comic, so I didn't go into it knowing the history and relevance of this piece. I felt like I must have missed something upon finishing, so I poked around online to read others' reviews and learn more about the Batman arc. That's helped guide my hindsight.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The bad:</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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There were too many panels per page for my taste. I didn't love the art - I get that it's supposed to be dark, but I'm saying some drawings were <i>literally </i>so dark that my eyes couldn't decipher shapes or actions.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kimptonflooring.co.uk/offers/files/stone%20effect/Pn22%20Black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.kimptonflooring.co.uk/offers/files/stone%20effect/Pn22%20Black.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"WHAT IS THIS???" <br />
jk, this isn't a real panel, but you get the idea.</td></tr>
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A minor thing in the grand scheme, but one of the first groups of villains the book introduces -- the "Mutant Gang" -- was just... too much. I really can't decide if they are an 80s fluorescent vinyl nightmare or if I should just love and embrace the camp. Come to think of it, the same clownish look goes for all the villains, really... but I couldn't take them seriously.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>The good:</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Carrie Kelley as Robin is awesome. <i>Because</i> I'm not familiar with the Batman stories in comic form, I've only seen baby-faced young men like Chris O'Donnell and Joseph Gordon Levitt in the role of Robin. Where my ladies at, Bruce Wayne? It was cool to see a 13-year-old girl leave her neglectful family and take on this role. Since finishing the book, she is seriously everywhere -- on a hipster's shirt at the hipster coffee shop, the object of several San Diego Comic Con cosplays... I am way behind the curve.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Carrie_Kelley_(Robin).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Carrie_Kelley_(Robin).jpg" height="200" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dat hair.</td></tr>
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<div>
I <i>did </i>like the overall premise. Existential crises. Fate of humanity in the balance. Even super heroes grow old. To that effect, though, I found myself drawing comparisons to Watchmen, which I read first... and liked more.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I think it's like this: Pulp Fiction was this really groundbreaking, influential film, right? If you don't see Pulp Fiction until, say 20 years after it was released, but you've been watching other movies which were influenced by Pulp Fiction, when you finally see Pulp Fiction, it's like... "so?" Maybe that's not the normal reaction, but that was my reaction when I finally saw Pulp Fiction. My reaction was indifference and "you know, this kind of reminds me of Kill Bill..." OF COURSE IT DOES.</div>
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I give it a "meh," but it is a "meh" of great respect.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-16419165898069387492014-07-25T11:36:00.002-07:002014-07-25T11:47:26.837-07:00Book Review - Acacia: The War With the Mein, by David Anthony DurhamI probably don't need to tell you that the Game of Thrones TV series is a big deal. I also probably don't need to tell you that HBO's very HBOey series is an adaptation of the Song of Ice and Fire book series originally envisioned by notorious protagonist-murderer and nerd-overlord George R. R. Martin. While I cannot claim to be one of the visionaries who read the series right from the beginning (mostly because I was too busy being 9 and reading a <a href="http://www.redwallabbey.com/">bazillion-installment series about heroic talking rodents</a>... whatever), after bingeing on the entire first season of the TV show, I was hooked.<br />
<div>
The next season wasn't due out for another, like, 6 months, but... <i><b>but</b></i>... there are books!</div>
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So I read those until there were no more.</div>
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Then I felt empty.</div>
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Somewhere, someone on the internet recommended the Acacia series by David Anthony Durham as a sort of methadone for GRRM addiction, so I picked it up from the <strike>clinic</strike> library.</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b6/ACACIA_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b6/ACACIA_Cover.jpg" height="320" width="210" /></a></div>
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Acacia is a trilogy, the first book of which is The War With the Mein. The Akaran family has ruled the Known World (which looks, on the map illustration, suspiciously like ASOIAF's Westeros) for generations. The book focuses on the four Akaran children, who begin content and comfortable. Outside the castle, of course, there is simmering unrest, and the peasants live short and miserable lives. The reader learns pretty early on are some super shady dealings between the ruling dynasty and The League, which controls "trade" (um... kind of like the mafia provides "security") between the Known World and the Other Lands. One ethnic minority is particularly pissed off, revolution ensues, and the remaining 2/3 of the book picks up nine years later with the four Akaran children, now scattered separately throughout the Known World. Things happen - some surprising, and some predicted (the last 1/4 or so of the book is where the real action is) - and this installment closes in a time of calm on the surface... but the reader remains conflicted and a bit wary of what's to come.<br />
<br />
---<br />
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<div style="margin: 0px;">
I will say that the story <i>did</i> get off to a slow start. When everything is rosy, the book doesn't hold the reader's interest as it does after the shit hits the fan. The first 1/4 of the book took me about as long to read as the last 3/4.<br />
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I couldn't help but draw comparison to ASOIAF - but that's what I wanted, wasn't it? Acacia has enough interesting twists on its own to set it apart from ASOIAF - but not by much. I loved that it followed so many of the ASOIAF conventions which make that series so compelling, but I was also a bit uncomfortable with all the similarities.<br />
<br />
Just as in ASOIAF, the chapters jump between multiple narrative perspectives, so the reader hears what's going on in each of the major characters' corners of the world, one chapter at a time. For me, this structure kept me interested and on my toes, but I've talked to others who find it distracting and disjointed.<br />
<br />
It's a fantasy world, but the fantastic/magical elements kind of exist alongside the action rather than dominate it. There are no dwarves or elves or outright wizards (yet?)<br />
<br />
Even the four Akaran children and their sibling dynamics, to me, were reticent of the Stark litter. Eldest brother with a sort of hero complex. Eldest sister with a beauty complex (thankfully not as much of a doormat as Sansa... get it together, girl). Youngest brother who is coming into his own and living in the elder's shadow. Youngest sister who is... just... a complete badass.<br />
<img src="http://media.giphy.com/media/TkWeMtX2N9z2M/giphy.gif" /><br />
Their relationships -- the way they think about each other, care for each other, and complement each other -- make these characters easy to root for, while just enough human flaws remain to make the reader ambivalent toward them as outright heroes.<br />
<br />
<b>This is my favorite.</b> Also like ASOIAF, the story itself (and I can only speak for the first book) isn't centered around a heroic quest but instead on the familial dynamics and, more notably, political corruption and struggle - more House of Cards than Lord of the Rings. Sci-fi/fantasy at its best offers an imaginative escape with commentary on our own lives and our own world. Acacia puts issues of slavery, drug addiction, war, ethnic prejudice, and economic inequality at the forefront of the action. Compared to the "bad guys", were the "good guys" really <i>that </i>much better?<br />
<br />
I will enjoy reading the rest of this series... but when GRRM finishes Winds of Winter, I'll be ready.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
By the way...</div>
<div>
"George R. R. Martin is <i>what</i>?..."</div>
<div>
"...He's not our bitch."</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/w5vw9RTVky4?rel=0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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"Sorry, Neil Gaiman."</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-66075846768242891562014-07-13T12:28:00.002-07:002014-07-25T11:36:59.312-07:00Vegan reduxAbout four years ago, I decided to stop eating meat. I won't pretend I haven't eaten a scrap of meat since April 2010 or so, especially during that first year or two. My first Thanksgiving with my family was tough. My first St. Paddy's with my family was tough (corned beef and cabbage. seriously.)<br />
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<br /></div>
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I think that's OK. It's important to revisit and reassess essential beliefs, making sure they still fit in the big picture. Each time I did eat meat, it was clear that meat still didn't fit in my big picture. I now haven't eaten meat (knowingly, ugh) in about a year.</div>
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<br /></div>
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...</div>
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For all the reasons I stopped eating meat, I thought I'd try to eat vegan. <a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2011_09_01_archive.html">I wrote a little bit about it.</a> It started as a 60 day challenge, and think it lasted a little longer. Like... maybe 70 days? Guys, not eating cheese is hard, and I am weak. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
Regardless, I became more and more lax. But there's always the tiny little voice...</div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">"This doesn't fit in my big picture."</span> </div>
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"But cheese."</div>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
My job is also a lot of lunches and events where the takeaway needs to be my cause -- which has nothing to do with animals or the environment. Even when I'm eating eggs and dairy, my eating habits easily become a distraction from the subject at hand -- a distraction I've learned to manage, but a distraction nonetheless. Awkward conversations at work are part of the package. I get it. I've had those awkward conversations with coworkers, and they've been productive. For me, however, conversations with the external stakeholders (funders, specifically) are far more challenging. Those conversations are different. I have gotten really skilled at managing this and redirecting the awkward, and I am kind of proud of myself for it (pat on the back, self.) Still, it's a glimpse into my personal life I am not comfortable allowing.</div>
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<br /></div>
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...</div>
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<br /></div>
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Fast forward another few years of tiny voice stubbornly hanging on while big cheese voice does the same. This super lovely person started work at my organization, and she is vegan. We talk about cute animals and the <a href="http://www.ironwoodpigsanctuary.org/">pig sanctuary</a> and favorite delicious vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants. She's long since moved on to another department, but I've thought of her poignant and completely nonjudgmental insight frequently.</div>
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"This doesn't fit in my big picture."</div>
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So, once again, for all the reasons I stopped eating meat, and <a href="http://ahoyjmatey.blogspot.com/2010/08/meat-free-matey.html">on as much of a whim</a>, I'm going to try this vegan thing again. Since last Thursday (one misstep... Kraft Mac and Cheese aka orange crack. It wasn't worth it, and I repent.) Maybe I need a new self-improvement challenge? I won't pretend I'm going to be perfect... but I'm going to try.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-70373312782801234482014-07-07T11:56:00.001-07:002014-07-25T11:37:32.947-07:00Result of the 6-month shopping fast<div>
So, I set out to save some dough and de-clutter my life in the first half of 2014.<br />
<br />
When I started referring to our second bedroom as "the closet," I knew the problem was real. Here are my wearables purchases from January-June...<br />
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><b>Tank on clearance (from Target)</b> - I had a day full of meetings around town, with one last really important one to go... but I felt smelly. Sometimes you feel smelly and need to buy a new shirt. (I acknowledge the ridiculousness of that statement)</li>
<ul>
<li>January</li>
<li>$2</li>
</ul>
<li><b><a href="http://www.drdogmusic.com/">Dr. Dog</a> (concert) t-shirt</b> - Dr. Dog is one of my favorite live bands at the moment. I feel like this falls more into the "souvenir" category than the "clothes" category, thus only <i>kind of</i> counts... but in the interest of full disclosure, it's here.</li>
<ul>
<li>February</li>
<li>$25</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Accessory box (from <a href="https://www.wantable.com/">Wantable</a>)</b> (nautical earrings, statement necklace, scarf) - This was right on the cusp of my deciding not to shop. I am a huge fan of Birchbox, so a monthly box of surprise accessories sounded like even more fun. It was... just OK.</li>
<ul>
<li>February</li>
<li>$36</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Work shirt (from Goodwill) </b>- I am a Target fashion connoisseur. I know exactly which "fancy" designer collaboration it came from, and in exactly which season... but even when I'm loose in the wallet, $40 is too much to spend on a top at Target. When I saw one in perfect condition at Goodwill, I went for it. I have no regrets.</li>
<ul>
<li>May</li>
<li>$7</li>
</ul>
<li><b>Coral necklace (from Buffalo Exchange)</b> - I have no excuse. My bestie was in town, and secondhand treasure troves are my weakness. It could have been worse?</li>
<ul>
<li>June</li>
<li>$9</li>
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The result? Less than $100 spent, 5 items added (and about 10 paper grocery bags stuffed with items purged from my closet,) and some lessons in perspective on how my external appearance shapes (or doesn't) my internal self-perception.<br />
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I held off an entire day before I dropped in on <a href="http://www.mysisterscloset.com/">My Sister's Closet</a>... but that's outside the bounds of this experiment.<br />
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I'm pretty pleased with this as a self-improvement experiment.</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5584372004499780070.post-52032112241053879372014-06-26T10:57:00.001-07:002014-07-02T11:55:36.809-07:00(almost) 6 months of (almost) no shoppingIt all started with a January spending freeze to recover from a brutal holiday budget hangover. The experience was super positive and empowering. In addition to being kind of astonished by how much extra dough I had at the beginning of February, it allowed me to really hone in on the categories that were my biggest money sucks.<br />
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Aside from car and food, my guiltiest pleasure apparently is shopping... specifically for clothing and accessories. I am a huge secondhand and bargain shopper, but despite that, it's death from 1,000 small cuts. $50 here and $100 there add up in no time.<br />
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No.<br />
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I also realized the extent to which I was suffering from another unfortunate side effect of this habit: the accumulation of stuff... a LOT of stuff. My historic home's tiny closet was overflowing with clothes I hadn't worn in months (or ever) because I realized I didn't like wearing them that much or they had just gotten hidden among all the other stuff. It was ridiculous.<br />
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I didn't really set out to go on a wearables shopping fast in 2014... Around mid-February, I just realized that I had stepped outside my regular routine of shopping out of boredom and decided to keep it up. I have found these tenets to be very helpful in keeping me (mostly) on track:<br />
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<b>Don't go "window shopping." </b>There will come a time when this is a realistic expectation and a pleasurable experience, but it took me a few months of purging the habit of shopping from my system. I have a weird pull to online browsing... and sometimes I just need to step away, slowly and calmly, from the <a href="http://www.ruelala.com/">Rue La La</a>.</div>
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<b>Don't get caught up in the details.</b> OK... so, I bought stuff. More on that later. I'm still counting it a huge success.</div>
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<b>Share the love.</b> I've been so impressed by the support of my friends and family when I casually share that I've only bought <strike>3</strike> <strike>4</strike> 5 items in 2014. Everyone thinks it's great. Nobody thinks I'm weird. At least not any weird<i>er</i>.</div>
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<b>Get a buddy.</b> If anyone is crazy enough to come along for the ride, it's super helpful to have that extra level of support.<br />
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Feeling encouraged and empowered, I came across this very timely article last week from the Denver Post: <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/smart/ci_25959708/minimalist-clothing-challenge-spurs-closet-clean-outs">"Minimalist clothing challenge spurs closet clean-outs"</a>. Maybe I'll try <a href="http://theproject333.com/">Project 333</a> next...</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02037669950213742963noreply@blogger.com0