Viva La Vida

Oh, Barcelona. There is so much to be said about this lively Spanish city. There is no rest for the weary in Barthelona (as it is pronounced by the locals) and I'm pretty sure you have to actually be nocturnal to lead the Spanish lifestyle. Visits here are marked by very late nights (or very early mornings, whichever phrase you prefer) and after a few days adjusting to the Spanish clock, it's hard to tell when the day ends and when it begins. Lunch is at five, dinner is at eleven, and breakfast is whenever you manage to open your tired eyes around noon. The Spaniards are no stranger to a good time and it's hard to escape their fun-loving values in Barca, but let's be honest, who would ever want to? 

If life in Barcelona isn't enough alone, add on the fact that the city is amazing. I think Barcelona is somewhat of a microcosm of several things I love: language, the ocean, distinct architecture, the ocean, and stifling heat that makes it feel like home. I would mention the mojitos, but I think that falls under the "life in Barcelona" category. The vivacious Spaniards color their city with shades of liveliness as vibrant as the mosaics that paint every building and park and will have you desperately wanting to learn their feisty language as soon as you leave. And when you get tired of gazing at the unique sights that give the city its character, you can simply drool over all the beautiful people that inhabit España. You won't tire of seeing those sights, of this I am sure.

Brittany and I left Barcelona-bound from Munich for the weekend last Thursday and after a longgg day of traveling, arrived at our hostel just off of the well-known stretch, "Las Ramblas". We scurried to get ready for dinner, and after being warned several times by our waiter for ordering drinks at 8 pm, we learned that we were about four hours ahead of the city's schedule. Needless to say, we did not make it until 6 am that night like the resident club goers. After getting acclimated to the timetable, we spent the rest of the weekend exploring the city, visiting recommended restaurants and clubs, and relaxing on the beach. Our best investment of the trip was purchasing hop-on/hop-off bus passes, as we were able to see the city while taking the occasional siesta between stops. Intensive sight seeing is virtually impossible after keeping up with the nightlife in Barcelona. We did, however, manage to see the famous Sagrada Familia, the Olympic Stadium, Park Guell, Las Ramblas, and every American girl's favorite European tourist attraction: Zara. Gaudi's ever-present, and ever-eccentric work, also deserves mentioning as it is displayed proudly throughout the city. You can't help but marvel at the zany work and wonder how he was elected to construct such abstract architecture, but props to Barcelona for embracing the crazy. Major cool points. Last but certainly not least, my personal favorite sight (next to the Spanish men) was seeing the city from the top of Montjuic on our bus tour. It was a gorgeous view of the expansive city and a great ending to our last day.

After meeting a variety of international travelers, consuming countless cups of coffee, and soaking up all Barcelona has to offer in just a few shorts days (including the blazing sun), we boarded our flight back to Munich against our will with tired eyes and heavy hearts. Back to Zurich I go with yet a new adoration for yet another European country. Hasta más tarde. xx.

 From the top of Park Guell. Gaudi's work, of course.

Port of Barcelona 

Barceloneta beach- taken far away in attempt to keep from picturing topless señioritas. Sorry boys. 

La Sagrada Familia in all of its construction glory... I guess you kind of have to use your imagination here. 

My favorite view from Montjuic, as mentioned in the post.

Palace of Montjuic 

Brittany standing in front of our sweet ride. The ultimate tourist's dream.

Stop This Train

Sorry in advance for the length of the next two blog posts, but I have just finished ten days split between Munich and Barcelona and this will be a well deserved recap of one crazy week and a half. I'm currently writing this on my train ride from Munich back to Zurich and if it weren't for the scenery outside of my window, I would be fast asleep due to Barcelona exhaustion. I'm getting too old for this. 

I traveled to Munich to visit one of my good friends from UGA, the best of the best alma maters, and we spent the week reliving college Munich style. I showed up on Brittany's door step last Friday and we didn't waste anytime celebrating our reunion. She is a fun-loving person so I'm not surprised to feel like I just survived spring break in Europe at the end of my trip. Luckily, my new friend from Dusseldorf (reference past blog post) was also in Munich visiting her boyfriend, so we were all able to spend some quality time together in Bavaria. Highlights of Munich include (but are not limited to): massive bier gartens, a rich history, cheesy obazda, Mike's Bike tour, and men clad in lederhosen. My personal favorites, however, were days spent at the Englischer Garten and Dachau. 

The Englischer Garten is something else. It's bigger than Central Park and it is chock-full germans and tourists alike- all bicyclers, sunbathers, day boozers, and nudists (and lots of them). I owe one of the most comical sights I have ever witnessed to the Englischer Garten on my first full day in Munich: a man, probably in his 50s, with hair down to his waist walking through the masses of sunbathers while eating an ice cream cone and wearing nothing but flip flops. If ever there was a moot point, it is surely a nudist wearing shoes. People's reactions to the unabashed nudists here clearly differentiate tourists from local Germans- especially the modest Americans. Public indecency aside, the Englischer Garten is beautiful and it's the perfect place to spend those sparse sunny days in Germany with good friends and lukewarm bottles of Helles. 

On a more somber note, the other treasured part of my München excursion was visiting Dachau. You spend your schooling days constantly learning about World War II via textbooks, but there is no other feeling like visiting a concentration camp, and there are certainly no words to describe it. It took roughly two hours to get through and I had overwhelming chills the entire time. Knowing that you are standing on the grounds where hundreds of thousands of innocent people lost their lives is, most simply put, the most humbling experience in the world. It's impossible to wrap your head around the fact that one vile person could be the cause of such devastation and, even more shocking, that so many people could fall under a command so inhumane. If you ever get the chance to visit a concentration camp, make the effort. One visit will teach you more than any textbook ever could. Life changing kind of stuff that, if nothing else, will teach you to be thankful for just being alive. And rightfully living at that.

Though I have already been living in Germany for a couple of months, visiting Munich was a different experience. Bavaria is such a culture rich place and the Bavarians are very proud of their heritage, it makes for a great combination. I really loved Munich and who knows, I may be back sooner than I originally thought as I have just quit my current au pair job. Talk about a change in plans- but that story is for a different day. Stay tuned for a Barcelona post. Missing you all and a big thanks to BHop for being my German hostess with the mostess. xx.

The Englischer Garten

Soaking up some rays by the river with Brittany and Lara. And some Helles, too.

The New Town Hall. This building is incredible.

Next stop: bier garten for a masse.. Or two.

Theatinerkirche

Surfers on the river in the Englischer Garten. Very cool.

One Big Holiday

As days have become more and more routine in au pair world, incessant blogging just doesn't seem as necessary. Trust me, you can only hear so much about the fabulous day-to-day life of being a live-in nanny before you think it's a joke that I spent the past 4.5 (I'm hanging on to that .5) years in college prepping to spend my current days ironing and dusting. The days have become increasingly standard and as a result, I find myself shocked by how quickly the time is passing. The life of an au pair becomes less glamorous with each day I spend weeding the garden, but the novelty of living abroad is still as shimmering and lustrous as it was the day I arrived. That's how I know every frustration, no matter how trivial, is worth this experience. Fortunately, I have the month of July off while my host family is kicking off their summer vacation around France, and what a reminder it is not to complain about my time here.

My first stop during my solo month in Europe is Switzerland. I arrived here two days ago and I already feel more rejuvenated. I'm staying with my brother-in-law's sister, someone I consider family, so it really is a true taste-of-home experience. And for the love... thank goodness. Europe is wonderful, but it is so relaxing to be able to speak candidly with someone who shares the same culture. I'm learning a lot while adjusting to the German lifestyle, but it can be somewhat exhausting because of the stark contrast to American (more specifically, Southern American) customs. All this to say, being greeted in Lachen by a big hug from a familiar face and a warm Southern accent was the perfect fix for my cultural barrier induced disorientation. It has been a few days of catching up, comparing cultural differences, and, most importantly, speaking English with someone without the fear of miscommunication. The perfect start to my vacation from my staycation.

Lachen is located just outside of Zurich and reminds me a lot of where I'm living in Dusseldorf in that it is a very quaint and quiet little town. The locals would say it's small, but I find it very endearing. Switzerland is absolutely breath-taking. We are anticipating sunnier days, but even in the overcast haze, the scenery is stunning. It's water and mountains as far as the eye can see with accents of old farm houses and beautiful churches along the way. It's amazing to me how different and varied the landscape in Europe is, yet it is consistently extraordinarily gorgeous no matter where you find yourself. The magnificence of the panorama of Switzerland cannot be captured or justified by a picture, but expect to see many more of my attempts before I have to say good-bye to this majestic place.

Additionally, my excitement for being able to spend Independence Day with a fellow American should not go unmentioned. Though there were no fireworks, hot dogs, or over-served Americans clothed in pride, it was nice to pay respects to the greatest country around with someone who sympathizes with the honor and privilege of calling the States "home".  Plus, our July 4th celebration was somewhat stifled due to ringing in the holiday a little too hard the night before- but the red wine was festive, right? I mean, it's only the most important birthday celebration of the year (next to yours of course, Nanc).

I hope all of you had a patriotic Fourth of July celebration with lots of good American traditions and even better company. Happy late 4th to you and yours from across the pond and endless thanks to all of those American heroes who serve and defend our great country! Freedom is precious. xx.

Our view at lunch the first day. I love these colors. 

Casual awkward solo shot #1, included for your entertainment. And to show off my most treasured purchase so far in Europe: American flag scarf. Happy 4th, Switzerland! 

Overcast and pretty. 

This sunset.

 View from lunch with Sydney on the second day, is any view a bad view?

Awkward solo shot #2. Lachen is across the water in the distance.

Last picture from lunch, I promise.