I thought my life had peaked at Oktoberfest. The last couple weekends have proved to me that this entire abroad experience is just one peak after another.
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to have five of my closest Amherst friends visit Devyn and me in Madrid. Nneka, Lindsay, Katie, Julianna, and Maggie ventured from their respective cities to Spain to see what this Spanish life is all about. We did the classic tourist destinations, such as visiting the Royal Palace and El Retiro Park, as well as the classic bars and clubs. Saturday night the visitors made it to Kapitol, the famous seven story club in the city. The crew lived by the words of Ernest Hemingway, “Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they have killed the night.” They experienced a true night out in Spain, not returning to the apartment until about seven a.m.
Sunday my host parents, Regina and Carlos, invited the remaining friends to our home for a traditional Spanish meal. Carlos is a retired chef, so needless to say the meal was fantastic. We ate tostados with ham and cheese, spanish tortillas and the most amazing paella. For dessert, Regina served her unbelievable apple tart cake. This cake is so good that I sometimes eat it for breakfast when it is available. Afterward we ventured to a bullfight for some more Spanish cultural experience. The fight was something I am glad I saw, but will definitely never go to again. I left the Plaza de Toros feeling pretty disturbed, so naturally ice cream was necessary. Monday was spent doing some last minute exploration and tapas eating, and was a wonderful end to a wonderful weekend.
This weekend may have been my favorite yet since arriving to Europe. I traveled to Dublin to visit Gina and meet up with Maggie and Katie in the land of our roots. The entire weekend was just one amazing thing after another. I arrived late Thursday night, so Gina and I met up with some friends of mine from high school and explored a bit of the Dublin night life. Friday we visited Trinity College Dublin and the Book of Kells, and saw one of the most spectacular libraries. After exploring a bit of the city, we made our way to the Bleeding Horse for some delicious pub food. Stuck in a corner with no light and no air, but great company, I was so grateful to be reunited with my best friends in a new city.
Saturday was a day of “craic,” a gaelic word which translates to something along the lines of “fun” in English. We woke up bright and early to make our way to the Queen of Tarts Cafe for breakfast, where we enjoyed amazing Irish scones, coffee and eggs. Next it was off to the Guinness Brewery, which is one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. When I asked my dad about things to do in Dublin, he simply responded with “Guinness,” so I was more than excited to check it out. Once in the vicinity of the brewery, you are immediately overwhelmed by the inviting aroma of the hops. We entered and toured the facilities, and even learned how to craft the perfect Guinness. We took our beers up to the Gravity Bar and looked out over the entire city of Dublin, where we were fortunate enough to see a rainbow. It was an absolutely perfect moment. The perfect day continued and we made our way to the Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park. Zoos are the place where the five year old in me thrives. When we arrived at the elephant house, I had a minor freak out. Who would think you’d see new born elephants in Dublin.
Saturday night was one of the best nights I’ve had in Europe. I got drinks with a high school friend, then ventured to “The Globe” to meet up with the girls. Here we met the greatest group of Irishmen, who had us laughing for hours. One of the men kept yelling at Katie for “taking the soup from the Brits” and “giving up her O” in her last name. After hours of laughter, I realized the people in Dublin may be the greatest people on earth. It was brilliant.
Sunday Gina took us to Dalkey, a suburb on the coast about thirty minutes from the city. We walked through the town and made our way to the cliffs, and after a good climb we made it to the most beautiful place I think I have ever seen. There I had a “wow” moment. From the top, we looked out over the the city of Dublin and some other suburbs, while on the other side we saw beautiful mountains and an even more beautiful coastline. Beyond it all were the most gorgeous harbors. After taking maybe a thousand pictures, we headed into the town for lunch and back into Dublin City. Overall, the weekend made me even more appreciative of this semester abroad and even more grateful for my Amherst friends.