OK...ONCE for all of you slower ones

This is how this works. YOU who wanted me to keep in touch and keep a blog so you could have somewhere to contact and keep up with me while I am in Europe...this is for you. I keep a journal and I can see my own pictures any time I very well please. So, If you are going to take the time to read the blog...POST A COMMENT! Here is how we do it...go to the end of the post (that is what you are reading) and go to the comments link...the underlined thing that says comments. Good work. Then, click it. Type. click log in as anonymous. Publish (there is a button that says that). You are done. Good job. Repeat. Looking forward to it.

Plaza de Toros (thatś the bull ring)

Plaza de TOROs
Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

SO this week has been crazy. I can´t believe that I only have like 6 days left in Granada before we go to Madrid. This is an incredible city with incredible people and I have loved every minute of it. Was there ever any doubt that I would? Before I go on, the picture was of Sarah and I in Sevilla at the bullfighting ring last weekend. Beautiful. Then again I didn´t see the actual bull fight. I may have had a few sick feelings after seeing 6 bulls (who don´t even get a chance by the way) tortured to death. We went on the tour in Sevilla of the bull ring and they told us that there was one bull who killed two matadors before he, himself was killed. So, naturally, they killed his mother. Anyway, enough with the bull. We went again to Sevilla and saw the Cathedral...the third largest in the World after St. Peter´s in Rome and St. Paul´s in London. Ah-mazing! I promise to get pictures up soon of more recent things. The largest moon in 18 years was two nights ago. We went up to this "platform" type of thing (very large terrace I guess) called the Mirador de San Nicolas to see it. It overlooks La Alhambra and the entire city. So cool. The moon was fairly small for being so big. But we had a good time. We also went horseback riding in the Sierra Nevada WEdnesday. We not only rode through the mountains but through the olive and apricot (I think) groves. My horse Letizzia (doesn´t she sound a little ghetto?) liked me. We were tight. The view was amazing. I wish to leave you with a small amount of words from a poet who is one of my favorites:
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

42 degrees centigrade, starbuck´s and walking in circles (accompanied by MAN this bus stinks)

So this weekend we excursed (yes I am allowed to make up words- I do it in Spainish too) to Sevilla. So freakin´ hot. Do you know how hot 42 degrees is? No, not in farenheit, although that would have felt very good, in CELCIUS or centigrade, whichever you prefer. It is 107 degrees of pure unadulterated heat. And by that I mean it is without humidity but it also stays hot from 10a to 10p (that´s when the sun goes down). So I am more tan and bought a few skirts because jeans are verging on unbearable. And we eat more ice cream but walk minimum of 8 miles a day so it´s ok. I am not complaining though...I´m in Spain...but you knew that by now. So, Sevilla. Right. Tid of history for you: Sevilla is the Capitol of Andalucia which is the provence that Granada is in in Spain. It is gorgeous. We explored a goverment building that was far to beautiful to be used for politics. Found a random flamenco singer that we thought was a girl...nope. Old guy. Good singer though. We walked a lot...we (and by we, I mean not me-lead groups of people around with my direction skills? seriously doubt it. I´m sure that scares you mom since I will be by myself for a week. Oh well. Remember I am never lost...sometimes just severely turned around) had the map and the city in different directions (namely the city (not the map) was upside down). First thing that we cultured americans do when we get to a part of town that is remotely in the right direction? Go to starbucks. We suck. Others sell out on a regular basis to Burger King, Tex MEX (yes they did), Hagaan Daas (slightly more understandable) and the worst of them all, McDonalds. I´ve only sold out twice so far- McD´s at the beach because it was the only thing open during siesta and starbucks (no excuse). Finally, on the bus home, we were sleeping, and I do mean like a dead sleep, and out of nowhere...probably the bathroom...we were awakened by an extremely unpleasant odor. A reek of pungence wafting through the air at the speed of light hit about five of our group simutaneously and the next sound that was heard was (imagine) UGH! What IS that? Still don´t know...don´t care to know. I would like to congradulate Natalie and Michael on their recent marriage, Sean and Courtney on their upcoming marriage and grad school-you will be missed as my favourite (catch the Brit english?) bartender at the MAC SHACK. Dos besos a todos. Ciao.

Cassie and Flowers

Cassie and Flowers
Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

This is for you mom and dad...there are gorgeous flowers everywhere.

Like an engineer´s kids´ park

Like an engineer´s kids´ park
Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

same park...playground area...I never had that as a kid

Park of Garcia Lorca

Park of Garcia Lorca
Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

Beauty of this park was phenomenal

Puppies

Puppies
Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

Look at the Cuteness going on in this picture. Everyone has pups here and they love them and I love the fact that they love them.

You knew how I am about angles and light.

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

A cross on top of a monument on the beach at Almuñecar dedicated to a saint. WE climbed the rocks (peril) to get up there and THEN found the stairs.

Just to give you a relative size of the rocks.

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

This is Kyle and Christian jumping off the rocks at Almuñecar. The water was stinkin cold...but hey it´s the Mediterranean Sea, who cares?

Jackie, Sarah and Chrisitan

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

In a "cave" on the beach at Almuñecar.

The beach at Almuñecar

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

Mahira and Robin

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

Trip to the beach. They are singing or something.

Viejos

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

There are such cute little old people in Granada. Look at the guy on the left. How can you not love him?

My roommates

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

This is Camille (left) and Rose (or Camila and Rosa as our mamá calls them). They are my roommates in Granada.

VESPAS!

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

They are everywhere and some sidewalks have their own street corners dedicated to parking them.

The streets

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

This is what we call AT LAST

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Originally uploaded by cutiebooty.

Sorry guys I had so much trouble getting my camera and these computers to work together in peace and harmony- actually they never did but I improvised. Enjoy

Cascais, custard and cabos

Went to visit Thomas this weekend in Portugal. It was so good to see family, even if only for two days. He showed us so much. Of Lisboa and the surrounding areas. We went by bus both ways (about 30 hours/way). I don´t know how people tour on buses except for the fact that they have beds. Ok so that wouldn´t be bad. We went from Madrid to Lisboa on one bus. Our busdriver was so great. There were about 7 portugese men on the bus and my two friends and I. I sat in one seat by the second entrance about halfway back. I had my chair leaned back and was sleeping curled up in both of the seats (remember folks, I´m only 5´1" thanks to my fabulous genetic structure so I can do that-you can see what is happening in a crowd of people that are tall, I can curl up and sleep like a puppy anywhere...no cause to be jealous). The busdriver comes by on one of our stops and tells me in portugese (which I do NOT speak) that my seat leans back all the way into a bed. When he realizes I understood like two of those words, he proceeds to show me. PLOP! I fall backward abruptly onto the seat behind me. Everyone else wants to change seats with me they tell me in Portugese (this I understand). I tell them that´s ok and that if you snooze you lose...I snooze I get a bed. We finally arrived in Lisboa at 5:45am. Thomas met us and took us around the city with one of his advisors, Linda. She was wonderful. She showed us MAFRA, Cabo da Roca, Hell´s mouth (i think that was what it was called), a convent made by Franciscan monks that was like a cave in a mountain that they had made everything out of stone and cork, a mock Versailles built by portugese royalty, a view of a moorish castle and the ruins of another monestary on the top of the mountain and Sintra, a beautiful town whose houses were built in the 1600s. The next day we went to Belem and had Paisdais de Belem which is a pastry that they are famous for. THey like custard a lot. I also had Galao which is coffee with more milk than coffee...very good as I am a tea kind of girl. WE saw the president´s residence, the river and a monument to the discoverers/explorers. Then we went to Cascais to the beach. Beautiful cold atlantic ocean. We got a little burned but not bad...pinkish. Then we went to the Castle of St. George which has a beautiful view of the city. It was amazing. The whole thing was a blur yet relaxing. We saw so much and yet nothing at all. The time spent with them was so fun. I also met Thomas´s house mom Doña Ana...she spoke portugese to me and I spoke spanish to her...somehow we understood each other most of the time. She make fun of Thomas because he doesn´t speak as much portugese as she thinks that he does. Too cute though. Sorry had to describe all of this. The computer does not like my USB cord so although I have about 600+ pictures of everything, I am unable as of yet to publish them to the blog. I am working on it though. Ciao. DOS besos (one for each cheek).

Salsa is red hot

Well, it is the truth. Whether you get the american version in a restaurant with cilantro (my preference when referring to mexican food) or the often mistaken for foreign salsa which is the dance that was actually invented in the grand old U.S. of A. in New York! Oddly enough more hispanic countries practice this dance. It is so much fun. We salsa-ed four nights in a row last week and we were sooo tired by Wednesday that we had to take a break and just chill. Which is equally as fun and entertaining. Story first though: so it is Sunday night...our very first Salsa dance lesson ever. It was so much fun. We stood in lines and practiced the steps like a dance routine. Until...dun-dun-da...Alfredo. like the sauce and equally as formless. It was fun don´t get me wrong. He looks like a computer science/calculus teacher with glasses he keeps pushing up and pants that are so high up that you can´t quite tell where his chest is. note: salsa is very much about moving the hips. Alfredo has none. he shuffles his feet to make up for this. BUT he despirately wants to dance...with you. YOU who have never had a salsa lesson other than today and with a partner? Well, you just better hope that he is good. But he doesn´t know what he is about to do much less let you know. So he pulls and pushes you around the dance floor until you have severly tripped over yourself and him. KEY to dancing with a partner guys: use firm arms to let the girl know exactly what you are going to do. Better yet, your friends are off to the background laughing histerically and taking tons of pictures. OH yes. You vow never to try it again...until salsa lesson no. 2 at Chicago´s on Monday night.

Dame mas Gasolina

Ok so that has nothing at all to do with this post, but it is a really fun song to dance to. Today we were in Córdoba and had a grand time even though it was a three hour bus ride there and back. The mosque that we went to that is part of the city square is a beautiful mixture of cultures. It was originally built in like the 700s AD and was a mosque (an Islamic place of worship). They expanded it three times so it is huge...capable of housing 44,000 people. CRAZY! It was finished in 900 AD and then the reconquisition began and the Christians began to kick out both the Jewish poopulation (I realize I spelled that wrong but it was too funny to erase...I´m tired.). They built a cathedral right smack in the middle of this mosque. It is mad interesting. They also have a jewish quarter but no jews. Those Spaniards. The spanish phrase for today is ¡por supuesto! this means ¡of course! I like to say it like an italian and raise my hand and say "but of course!" I also like the upside down exclamation marks and question marks and the siestas a lot. Esta bien. I think that it is a good day for helado (ice cream). It´s hot. Or Paris Hilton´s version...that´s hot. Ok I´ve reached a new low. Hasta for now kids.