Well, my time here has come to an end. On my last night in London we had a farewell reception to say goodbye to our advisors and our coworkers. It was held at the Cass Business School and really nice to say a final goodbye. London has been one of, if not the best experiences of my life. Not only has my time abroad helped open my eyes to the world, it has also introduced so many news things, people and culture into my life. That being said, I'm ready to go but sad to leave.
My bags are packed, I'm ready to go, and I'm leaving on a jet plane. My cab leaves for the airport at 3AM tonight, and tomorrow is going to be a long day... I'm ready to be a citizen again in my own country and start using the good ol' greenback again. Peace London, hello America!!
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
May 21st
Today I gave my final presentation of my dissertation. It went really well, and after I had finished it felt like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. I'm just so relieved that I don't have to think of this research paper ever again. Since Chris finished today too, the two of us met up with some friends and went to our favorite club to celebrate. At this point, it so nice to be done and I'm officially a senior in college. That being said, I'm going to miss London more than I thought and can't wait until I can come back and visit one day.
May 20th
Jodi has been talking about this famous restaurant in Green Park called Burgers and Lobster. Essentially you can get either a burger or lobster for 20 pounds and unlimited salad and fries. We decided to try it out and I'm so glad we did. It was amazing and a much better decision than cooking! After dinner, I was stuffed but I had to prepare for my final presentation of my dissertation the next day. Whatever you do, don't eat lobster and expect to be productive (I learned that the hard way)!
May 19th
Since this is my last Saturday in London, Chris and I decided we had to visit Borough Market one last time. Instead of each getting one type of food, we decided to be adventurous with our food selection. To start, we split a Kangaroo burger with lettuce, onions and mustard. I know it sounds gross, but it was absolutely delicious. From there, I grabbed one of London's most famous chefs Jamie Oliver's mushroom pizza. Still hungry, we each grabbed some Bratwurst with mustard and sauerkraut. After 5 months of being abroad, I have come a long way! Who would have thought I would have become so adventurous?
Barcelona (May 16th-18th)
May 16th
I looked forward to my trip to Barcelona for a long time. I couldn't wait to kick back and relax on a beach in Europe. Our flight landed in Spain around 11:30AM, leaving us the majority of the day to see sites around Barcelona. We dropped our stuff at our hostel, which ended up being very clean and exceeding my expectations. From there, we decided to get some food. Since our hostel was located right off of Las Ramblas.
When we got some food, we walked down Las Ramblas towards the coast to check out the beach. On the way, we stopped at the Christopher Columbus monument. We walked around the port and along the beach. By the time we started heading back to the Hostel, my New Trier friend, Chris Harris had checked in to our hostel. We headed back to the hostel to meet him. We caught up and got situated before catching a walking tour around the old part of the city. The tour took us through through the Jewish Quarter and gothic center of Barcelona. The five of us started the tour, but it ended up being extremely boring. Our tour guy was this Spanish guy with crazy eyebrows who took so long describing minor details and things we couldn't care less about, so halfway through we decided to bail and go see sights on our own.
Our first stop was the Barcelona Cathedral, which ended up being a really cool Gothic style Cathedral. From there, we walked to the Plaza Catalunya which is one of the larger, more famous plazas in Barcelona. Since Chris Harris had been to Barcelona before, he was attempting to take us around. We jumped on the Metro to head towards one of Barcelona's most famous sites, La Sagrada Familia. La Sagrada Familia is an enormous church that has been constantly updated and renovated for centuries. It was designed by Barcelona's most famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. Harris decided not to buy a ticket and risked getting on the train without one. As we approached the exit to leave the station, he actually got caught and got a ticket for not paying! Also, on our way to La Sagrada Familia, Chris directed us to the wrong Metro stop. Needless to say, we didn't trust him to take us around the rest of our time there.
But when we did finally reach the church, it did not dissapoint. The site was simply fantastic and nothing like I've seen before. It actually reminded me a lot of a sandcastle. By the time we finished looking at the church, we were all exhausted from waking up so early and walking around the city. We went back to the hostel for a quick nap before going to dinner and then heading out for the night.
We left for dinner around 10-10:30 (Spain schedule is completely delayed). We went to this tapas restaurant which was recommended to us and it turned out to be fantastic. After drinking a few bottles of wine, we went to one of the big clubs called Shoko on the beachfront. Barcelona is known for its nightlife, and I had a blast. Each club opened up to the beach. It was around 5AM when we headed home for the night.
May 17th
The next day we planned on going to the beach, but the weather wasn't that nice. Instead, we went to eat at a sandwich shop called Bo de B's which was recommended to us by multiple people. This place was hard to find, but it was definitely worth the search. It was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. After, we decided to go see the 1992 Olympic Village and Stadium. On our way there, we stopped by the Placa d'Espanya which is an enormous circle and street leading to the Palau Nacional. This was one of my favorite areas of Barcelona because of its position on a hill overlooking the Barcelona skyline.
Walking from the street level up to the olympic stadium is quite the hike though. Halfway up the hill is Barcelona's old palace, called the Palau Nacional which is now a national musuem. The building is old and prestigious. It also served as a great place to rest and overlook the city. When we felt up to it, we continued on our way to the stadium. This was the third olympic site I have seen in Europe so far including London and Athens. This olympic site ended up being the most beautiful and charming by far. The Spanish have done a great job of maintaining it. Unfortunately we couldn't go inside the Olympic Stadium because there was a Bruce Springsteen concert going on later that night. What a Boss!
When we left the Olympic Village, the weather improved greatly so we stopped to change at our hostel and headed to the beach. This was our priority on our trip, because after being in London you begin to miss seeing the sun. It was so nice to just hang out and relax, but it's too bad it wasn't a little warmer. On another note, when you sit on the beach, there are dozens of vendors and immigrants who come up to you offering different products. This was one of the most annoying experiences of my life. Just as you're about to fall asleep, a Chinese woman runs up to you offering to give you a massage in Spanish and not taking no for an answer. Finally when you get them to shoo off, another one comes up to you. It was a never ending cycle.
When it started getting a little colder, we left the beach and got ready for dinner. We were recommended another tapas restaurant on one of the busier Barcelona streets, but when we got there the place was packed and had a 1.5 hour wait. So we ate nearby, but I'm glad we did because this place was amazing. From there, we went to another beachfront club called Opium. This was one of the cooler clubs I've been to in Europe. The five of us were sitting at a table on the beach when a couple on their honeymoon overheard us talking. It turns out, they were from Chicago so we bonded over that and had a few drinks with them. We finally parted ways and hit the dance floor. After a few hours, we finally headed back.
May 18th
On our last day in Barcelona, all we wanted to do was go back to Bo de B's and hit the beach. Bo de B's was amazing (again). After that, despite the chilly weather, we spent the rest of the day on the beach trying to soak up what little sun there was. Although we weren't graced with the best weather Spain has to offer, I loved Barcelona. Before we headed to the airport, we stopped by the restaurant which had the 1.5 hour wait from the night before to eat. Again, the food was amazing and I can't wait to get tapas back in the states.
Mercat San Josep
Mercat San Josep
Las Ramblas
Every street looked like this
Plaza Real
Christopher Columbus Monument
Christopher Columbus Monument
Josh, Chris and I in front of the Christopher Columbus Monument
The Port
The Port
The W Hotel. I loved this building and if I came back to Barcelona, this is where I want to stay
La Playa
One of the more unique street performers I've seen in Europe
Old City's Narrow Streets
Eglesia de Santa Maria del Pi
Eglesia de Santa Maria del Pi
Old City
Narrow Streets of the Old City
Jewish Quarter
Jewish Quarter
Jewish Quarter
Chris Harris, Chris Castelluccio and I
Chris, Jodi, Josh and Chris
Barcelona Cathedral
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral Crypt
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral Crypt
Inside the Barcelona Cathedral
Barcelona Cathedral
Chris and Jodi outside the Barcelona Cathedral
Chris and I outside the Barcelona Cathedral
Chris, Josh and I outside the Barcelona Cathedral
Plaza Catalunya
Plaza Catalunya
Plaza Catalunya
Plaza Catalunya
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
Chris in front of La Sagrada Familia
Jodi, Chris, Josh and Chris in front of La Sagrada Familia
Chris and I in front of La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia
Our Hostel
Our Hostel
The Courtyard in out Hostel
Bo de B (the best sandwich place!)
Placa d'Espanya
Old Bull Arena that was renovated and now a mall
Placa d'Espanya
Palau Nacional
Placa d'Espanya
Placa d'Espanya
Jodi and I overlooking the Placa d'Espanya
Jodi and I overlooking the Placa d'Espanya
Overlooking the Placa d'Espanya
Placa d'Espanya
Barcelona Skyline
Placa d'Espanya
Placa d'Espanya
1992 Olympic Torch
The five of us at the Placa d'Espanya
Palau Nacional
Palau Nacional
Palau Nacional
View from the Palau Nacional
Palau Nacional
View from the Palau Nacional
Palau Nacional
Palau Nacional
Olympic Village
The Aquatic Center
1992 Olympic Games
1992 Olympic Games
1992 Olympic Torch
1992 Olympic Games
1992 Olympic Games
1992 Olympic Games
1992 Olympic Games
View of Barcelona Mountainside
1992 Olympic Games
Chris and I in front of the 1992 Olympic Stadium
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