Hotel Puerta Guadalajara

... including Velasquez and El Greco. It rained for a little bit during our walking tour but the weather held out after all and we ended up having a great day.

From there we left for Madrid we arrived close to dinner time (9pm here!) so we went and got Shawarma, one of my new favorite foods! Shawarma is this meat (usually lamb) Middle Eastern sandwich sold at all of the Kebab places around and it's really cheap so we end up eating it a decent amount when ...

Well, the time is quickly approaching where we will be leaving Spain for our much anticipated adventure. I have been trying to get everything in order and haven't had too much time to think about the huge step that we are about to take. While I am nervous ...

At 12:45, almost everyone is done with classes, and making plans for the weekend. There is a class trip tomorrow to La Mancha, where the famous ¨Don Quixote¨ takes place. I am gong on the class trip, and then going to explore more of Madrid. I think that it is possible to be in Madrid for an entire year, and eat at a different place every night, and then go to a different pub or bar afterwards. What a nice place...maybe not the best if you are trying to be a student!

... encierran cierta luminosidad, olor, vista o detalles únicos, tan penetrantes como las venas de la Sagrada Familia o los mosaicos del Parque Guell. Hay tanto que decir de Barcelona, pero no hay tiempo, bueno no para mí, que en mi última noche aquí me voy a cenar y echar el bailongo en razzmatazz!!!Ya tengo montonales de fotos, pero no he tenido la oportunidad de subirlas, sin embargo, prometo hacerlo pronto. En fin, ahora empieza lo pesado!

... ll find the street sweeper, the saucy librarian, the suitcases, the man leaning against a rail. Who or what is being immortalised i have no idea. It doesn't seems to be the point. Squatting in the middle of plain rimmed low moutains, Madrid is a cold place in winter time. But it is also very beautiful. Provided you stay under the layer of smog, the skies look a clean, washed-blue, the trees lining the major avenues are stark but elegant, and the public places are alive with ...

Hola from Spain! I´m in Madrid right now, but I´ll back up a bit to finish up Switzerland. On Saturday, we spent the day in Zurich, wandering around and doing a bit of shopping. Sunday was in Bern, where we met up with Andrea and Tante Grete for a great brunch to celebrate Tante Grete´s recent birthday and Mothers´ Day at the same time. We walked around the older parts of Bern after that, and then made it back to Berndt´s ...

... could have the bottom which was fine as the top was heaps better but I dont think they liked the fact they had young backpackers in their room!! we were buggered and weren't in the mood to 'party' if thats what they thought we would do... Our train left Paris at 11.15pm so it was definitely bed time!! We got a little 'refresher' pack which included tissues, 2 breath mints, a baby wipe, ear plugs and a bottle of water probably only for 1st class so we ...

Today marks my last day in Europe... and it´s come at a good time because I´m ready to move on. Today I spent about 4 hours in a beautiful garden, Compo Del Maro behind the Royal Palace... I wanted to do this garden yesterday but was closed. I spent time reading, sleeping on a bench, roaming the gardens and just reflecting on what has been an extraordinary 3 months in Europe. I continue to learn Spanish, and I´ve since purchased my English-Spanish ...

This weekend they took us on an excursion to Madrid. Basically it was a guided tour throug the city and then a visit to an art museum. Now don't get me wrong. I like a good museum as much as the next guy, but it's not something you take a group of 130 to. Ah well. There were some good Picasso paintings there so not all was lost. After the tour, the majority of us decided to stay the night in Spain. It didn't take us long to find a hostal ...

... pants My favorite Spanglish experience was when Juan Carlos, from Mexico, described me to a friend as..."Deez Guy, Es fashionist. He works for DE Gap. He esss from 'SEE-LEE-CON' Valley." Some funny times my friends. So...I think that's it. I hope that you all have enjoyed the travel journals. For me, it was a great way to keep my thoughts together while traveling and to keep in touch with all my friends and family. Thanks for reading.... Ari