Montserrat and a little history lesson..............

Hello Everyone,

These pictures are of Montsterrat, a large mountainous area with a cathedral and monestary. It has been considered as a national park since 1987 because there is also a lot of wildlife such as boars and rams. The area is so much prettier when you're actually there. This place is like a sanctuary. People like to come here to relax and get away. There is even a campsite. I think it is about 2 Euros a night.

I went with my friend, Alex. Since he leaves in the village nearby he offered to show me around. We went on a Monday, instead of the weekend to avoid the tourist crowds. And lucky for me, there weren't a lot of people at ALL. Yeah !!! It was peaceful and quiet.

I took the train to Monsterrat, and then I met up with Alex we took another train, (called the Cremallera) up the mountain to the monastery. Pictures #1-3 are of my train ride to Montserrat. Pictures #4-5 are of the Cremallera ride up to the monastery.

Pictures #6-7 are of the monastery. It looks old, but it was destroyed in the 1800s when Neapolean invaded it. I think it was rebuilt in 1844. What's nice about the monastery, is that people are welcome to spend the night there if they want. For 18 euros you can have a room to sleep, as well as eat and pray among the monks. Alex told me that he did this when he wanted to get away and study for his exams.

Pictures#8-14 are of the cathedral. It really is the most beautiful cathedral that I have ever set foot in. I have been to a lot of other churches in Austria and Germany, and though they are beautiful, they are really old, cold and don't feel welcoming. They almost feel like a thing of the past. This cathedral is beautifully decorated like a palace and it feels welcoming. It doesn't even feel like a tourist attraction, which was nice.(When I visited La Sagrada Familia by Gaudi it felt like I was seeing an attraction and not a house of God).

Picture #9 is a picture of "La Moroneta", a symbol of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus for all Catalans. I believe that Mexicans have La Virgen Guadalupe. (But if I am wrong, please correct me. I got to touch her hand through the glass hole for good luck.

She is black, because she was found in the holy cave many many years ago, which is also at Montserrat. We would've been able to visit the holy cave, but we didn't have enough time.

What I was told is that Spain was invaded by the Moors centuries ago. When they came to Montserrat, the statue of the Virgin Mother was hidden in a cave, but was forgotten about. When she was found again, she had turned black from being in a cave for so long. Of course this isn't the real statue, but the replica was good enough for me.

I was also told that the Holy Grail was believed to be kept here. The Nazis stormed through here during WWII and demanded the people in the monastery to bring them the Holy Grail. Anyways, moving along..........................

Picture #13 was a very touching thing for me to see. People pray to La Moreneta to have their wishes come true and give thanks and leave things behind. They are allowed to leave their stuff for a week, and then it is taken away every Thursday.

 It is a room full of happiness and sadness. I saw baby clothes with writings, thanking La Moroneta for the new healthy child. Women sometimes leave behind their wedding dresses. Then I saw the sad stuff. Announcements for a missing young man. Someone also left behind a box of cigarretes behind with torn up cigarettes because someone died from smoking. I also saw walkers, probably for older people that passed away. It's a very personal room.

After spending some time in the cathedral, we walked around. We first went to a little chapel on the mountain that has been locked up for many years (Pictures 17-19). Lucky for me, my little lens on my digi cam could fit through the hole. People throw money on the floor to make wishes, so you'll see all the coins if you look hard enough.

After the chapel we went to the cross. Unfortunately, it was way to cloudy to see the beautiful view of the monastery. But it was still beautiful. We were high up on the mountains, and it felt like I was closer to God. The view below was beautiful, even though it was too cloudy. Hell, even my glasses were fogged up a little. #21-23 are of the view down the mountains. It almost makes me wanna grow wings and fly around a little.

Well, that was my day in a nutshell.............................

Unexpected Changes and some drama.............

Well Folks.....................................

I am not going to Austria tommorow after all. I found this out like 3 days before I was supposed to go. My grandma told me that it's not the best time. However, she is going to send me money to help tide me over which is a huge help.

The family from San Sebastian also told me that I will start work on Sept. 13th. I thought that I was gonna start earlier, but oh well ! Things change ! At least they told me that I can stay at their house if I don't have any place to go. I am still deciding on a date to go.

I don't really know how to feel about this. I need to have some structure in my life. Right now I live each day with no set plans. I need to be earning money too. That should be happening in San Sebastian, but the dates just keep getting pushed back.

Oh ! And more boy updates............................... Mr. Prince Charming that I mentioned in previous entries cancelled on me and wants to know when I am leaving. First of all, it took him forever to arrange that meeting, and then he cancels. We were supposed to meet tommorow evening. He keeps calling and trying to rearrange a time, but I have other plans and I don't know when I am leaving.

 After today, I don't think that I really want to see him anymore. He thinks it's okay to treat me like this, and it's not. If he were really interested in me, he would value the last few days I do have here.  I don't know if Spanish men are like this or not, but I am not sticking around to find out. So man: If you are reading this, I like you, but you are RUDE. En espanol, significa mal educado, vale ? After cancelling on me today, if you really wanna see me, you're gonna have to work at it a little harder, okay buddy ?

Wow. I feel better.

On a better note.....................I went to Montserrat yesterday with one of my new friends, Alex. It was very peaceful and beautiful and I took lots of pictures. Plus, I got a little workout from walking a lot. My butt kinda hurts. I will post the pictures soon.

Ciao.

Some of my favorite moments in Europe

Hello Everyone,

I am fully aware that this is my second entry for the day, but if I don't write it soon, I'll forget.

Look at the first pic above. It is SOOOO precious. It is of our first litter of puppies that were born around Christmas. The mother dog even made an appearnance. She is on the right. They have since been sold, and my parents now have a new litter. I am sad that I will never be able to see them. I keep asking my mom for pics, but I think she is a little too busy cleaning up all the shit they produce..........

Anyways......... although I am not able to see the cute puppies, I am still getting my doses of cuteness here in Europe.

The second picture wasn't taken by me. It was taken by Alex, one of my new friends here in Spain while he was traveling in Germany. However, the same thing happened to me in Austria while I was enjoying Austrian pastries with my aunt. Basically a little birdie flew down on my plate and started pecking away at the crumbs. I don't remember if I carried my camera or not, but I didn't wanna scare the little thing away. I just sat there while it made pecking noises with it's little beak against my plate. I was giggling for a good five minutes. It was a fearless little birdie....

Unfortunately, I can't capture all the cute moments. They come and go very fast, and they are usually unexpected surprises that brighten my day.

Here are some other moments worth noting........................

1.) I love observing little toddlers, and I especially love watching little girls play with dolls. I think it's so cute. While I was walking home from class one day I saw this little girl with a cute little pixie-cut walking her little baby doll in a stroller with her parents behind her. While she was walking, the stroller hit a rough spot in the cobble-stone street and the doll fell out of the stroller face first on the street. The parents mildly scolded her and told her to pick it up and put it pack. After they helped her pick it up and dust it off, she walked it again. But it happened again ! She wasn't paying attention and the doll kept falling and hitting the ground. I couldn't help but giggle and smile at them and I think the parents got a kick out of me being entertained.

2.) While I was enjoying ice-cream in the FNAC building, I heard a newborn cry. It was kinda cute. It was a baby girl all dressed in pink. The father was trying to comfort it and feed it. He was waiting for his wife to come out of one of the shops. He tried holding it, and picking it up, but it was on a mission to cry. 

When the mother came out of the store, she took the baby and comforted it. She was such a beautiful woman, and not in a model way, but more of a motherly way. She gently held the baby and comforted it. All of her energy went to making sure the baby was calm. She just looked and focused on the baby. I was watching closely, and she smiled at me for a second as I was watching. That was a nice moment.

3.) While I was Figueres, I had a LOT of time to kill before my train came to back to Barcelona. I sat and did a lot of people watching. I saw a little toddler in a stroller. One woman had a very small dog and held it up for her to pet, and she showed the little girl how to pet it. I love it when people teach little kids how to properly pet dogs. The little girl was shy at first, but then pet the dog after some coaxing.

I also saw this little boy in a stroller with his father behind him. The boy resembled him. It was cute to see. While the father was waiting for his wife to come out, the little boy was smiling and making noises at me. He was smiling wide and showing all his new little teeth. He was also shouting at other people passing by. It was cute to see the boy amuse himself. He even was trying to untie his shoes. While he was doing that, he kept smiling at me in a mischevious way. Of course the dad wasn't paying attention because I saw him check out another woman's ass.

4.) While I was at Port Vell, I decided to occupy myself by feeding the seagulls and fish. All the seagulls were busy fighting for bread on the dock and in the water. And out of the corner of my eye I see a cute little birdie hippity-hop on over, clueless as to what's going on. So I toss it a piece of bread. It cocks its head to the side a couple of times before it eats it. It was cute to see it try to eat the bread with its little beak poking at it. Before I was able to take a lot of pictures it flew away. By the way, it is picture #3.

5.) While I was in San Sebastian I saw a couple walk their new puppy. It was a little fluffy baby lab. It was on a leash, and walking with a little grin on its happy little face. And it didn't wanna move. The owner kinda had to drag it on it's little butt. It would walk, and then it would sit and get dragged.

Okay, well enough moments for now.......................

Ciao.....................................................

I Found Happiness at Placa Espanya !!!!

Hello Everyone,

I am leaving Barcelona in a couple of days. I feel mixed about this. I have done a lot of cool things here. I will make a full list later, because I will look back on my time here and smile. Almost every night I was out talking to someone. Didn't matter who the person was as long as he/she spoke Spanish/German and I could learn something new. And I learned a lot.

But after I go to Austria I should be going to San Sebastian to work for a family and look after three boys. There, I will hopefully enroll in Spanish and dance classes. I have no idea what my life there will be like. I just hope that I make a lot of friends and enjoy my time there.

On Friday, I did a language exchange with a police officer. It was so neat !! He's worked with police forces from other countries, including the US and he wants to go to the United States to work as an officer. That was cool to hear. I got to see his badge and listen to him tell me about his job in general.

I took advantage of our time and asked him about immigration laws. Basically he told me that if I stay longer than my allowed 90 days as a tourist, nothing will really happen to me as long as I don't break any laws. THAT was a relief to hear.

We then went to Placa Espanya and had a drink on the terrace. We also watched the water fountain shows. This place is amazing !! UNFORTUNATELY, I didn't bring a camera.

However, yesterday I went again and took pictures this time. I went with my classmate from my Spanish class. He speaks German, so I polished up my German for my grandma. We decided to go and watch the water show. This place is absolutely beautiful, and my pictures just don't do enough. You have to be there.

Y'all know I've been feeling a little down lately. This trip to the water fountain totally cheered me up. The water fountain show was amazing. Since we got there early, we got good spots to watch the show.

The waterfall show is a good symbol of happiness. There are lights, water and music. Everyone there seemed to be in a good mood. Kids were playing and strangers were talking to each other. While I was watching the show, I reflected on my trip here. I have had a lot of moments: Good, bad and embarrassing. But luckily the good outweighs the others by far.

I loved watching how the water danced to the music as well as other people saying "ooh" and "ahh". During the first show there was opera music. As the voice got stronger the water shot higher. As a man and woman would sing together, the colors and water patterns would change. Very beautiful.

After the first show we went down by the fountain to take pictures directly in front of it. While we were there another show started with pop music. They were playing my favorite jams so I got up and danced. I really didn't care what other people thought at that point. I was getting spritzed while I danced. It was fun.  It was nice being so close to the big fountain. How could one NOT be in a good mood with water spritzes, colors, lights and music? There were a lot of people taking pictures together, kids giggling and happiness overall.

After that, we decided to go and take pictures in front of La Sagrada Familia. I've been there during the day, but it is so much more prettier at night.

We also went to Pizza Hut. Now THAT was good and I was full. I almost forgot what that felt like. For five Euros I got some fried potatoes, a small pizza and large drink. We sat outside and had a nice view of the temple( La Sagrada Familia) all lit up.

I slept like a baby that night.

 

The Subject of Love :)

Hello Everyone,

I almost forgot to mention that my blog here was a candidate of becoming AOL's top pick of the week. This was back in July when I was way too busy with my TEFL course and without enough internet access. At the time passing my course was the only thing I cared about. Therefore, I couldn't respond to the nice people at AOL and send a picture. And now the opportunity has passed. Ah well !!!

I was reading Angela's journal (among my favorites) the other day and she was talking about her first true love. It was such a bittersweet story. I am sure that first true loves are ones that can never be erased. I also found this picture which I posted above. It's so pretty. And the guy there even looks like the guy I've met here in Barcelona. (But that's another story)

I wouldn't know about true love. I have never been in love. I have dated different people (good and bad). And I have even come close to thinking that I was somehow in love. I have also had crushes, but never true love. I have had guys compliment me, but no one has ever really made my heart flutter or make me feel like I am the only special girl in the world.

But I still believe in it. I believe that most people have one great love in their lives and are lucky to find the other person. Some people live their lives without never knowing. I don't know what category I will fall into. That's the mystery of life, I guess.

As I was growing up I had the fantasy of meeting my prince one day and was sure that I would meet him soon. I am all grown up now. Reality came and paid me a visit. Instead of being presented with princes, I was showed the frogs !!!

Am I bitter? No. I am glad that I met these frogs and they have made me a stronger person. I can stand up for myself, and I am learning how to get what I want for once. Plus, it makes for great story-telling.  I also now have a better understanding of how to become a better person for the prince that may or may not show up one day.

I know people that have met their prince at an early age. They don't know what life is like without the other person. If the other person were to leave them or die, they wouldn't know where to being. At least I know how to stand on my own.

Am I sitting by my windowsill with my hair down and waiting for him to hop off his white horse? Hells no ! And he can take his time.

I am out traveling and living my life the way I want it, for once. I am learning how to stand up on my own two feet and survive alone in a foreign country. It's not easy and I bitch about it here in my journal (and probably will continue to.......), but at least I can say that I gave it a shot.

And about the guy I met here? I won't say his name, but he looks kinda like the guy above. I like him because he is sweet, relazed and laid-back. He is also educated (RARE here) and doesn't like to get wasted every night. But he is acting strange. I am glad that I found out sooner than later. He doesn't want to go out and dance and do anything really fun with me. He won't really talk to me and tell me what's bothering him. We're suppose to hang out soon but he told me he'd call me when he feels better. And I haven't heard from him since. And you know what I did ? I made other plans. And if he never calls me again, I wouldn't be too bothered either. I hate being treated like this. If he wants to treat me like this, then maybe I don't want to see him after all. I have feelings too.

Ladies, please.........Here is some advice: If these words are somehow mixed into the conversation, you know you have a problem...

1.)"It's not you, it's me." ( Hell, even I've used that BS line before)                            

2.) "I'll call you later."

3.) "I promise I'll make it up to you."

When I hear these words, I always smile and pretend I never heard them.

I hope this entry hasn't depressed you too much. I am not a bitter person, but sometimes I gotta let my feelings out, and this journal is my territory and therapy at the moment.

Anyways, I AM going out tonite to do another language exchange. There is no way that I am staying here at home alone tonite. He says he's a police officer, so I am hoping that he'll tell me more about immigration laws here in Spain.

Ciao.