"Respira!!! ..El Aire Del Norte!": A Weekend in Beautiful Basque Country

11/10/10

I recently learned of my placement in TFA. As of November 9, 2010, I will be teaching in the Bay Area!

"Teach For America provides a critical source of well-trained teachers who are helping break the cycle of educational inequity. These teachers, called corps members, commit to teach for two years in one of 39 urban and rural regions across the country, going above and beyond traditional expectations to help their students to achieve at high levels." (www.teachforamerica.org)

Before I recount my weekend in Northern Spain, I wanted to quickly share with you something really excited that happened today. Perhaps it will not be as exciting to the majority of you; but definitely for those of you who REALLY enjoyed Anatomy and Physiology in High School and College! On my way down to lunch this afternoon, I stopped by the 6^th grade classroom to drop a few things off. I was not expecting to see any students (recess); but I was elated when I caught one of my students, Esther, studying bones of the body (with a real Skeleton!). I could not believe this!

My Star Students

My 6^th graders are learning about the occipital, temporal, parietal and frontal lobes, about the sacrum, the coccyx, etc! I can not even tell you how happy it made me. Needless to say, I decided to stay awhile to study with Esther (and, soon after, Clara).

Off to North!

La Rioja: A province and an autonomous region located in the North of Spain

This weekend certainly flew by! We left early in the morning headed towards Northern Spain. Nerea, a friend of Mely´s, agreed to drive us up to Logrono (3 hour ride from Valencia) where we would take a bus to Vitoria (1 hour from Bilbao). The ride was pleasant; I fondly recall passing through Zaragoza while listening to reggaeton and salsa mixes. We passed by La Rioja, an autonomous community in Spain. This region is famous for wine (in fact, it is arguably the “best wine in Spain and the world”).

Look at these breathtaking vineyards!

When we arrived to Vitoria I decided to explore for a bit. Of course I documented some beautiful homes, churches and the center plaza before heading over to visit Padre “Nacho”, a really comical priest who is recovering from surgery. 

Our Hysterical and Sweet Father "Nacho"

He is originally from Mely´s hometown in Panama. We had a great time with our fruit, peanuts, tea and biscuits! =)

Placa España. de Vitoria
with cronies, Mely and Omar

A few hours later we were off exploring Vitoria nightlife. It is beautiful! I maintain that El Pais Vasco (“Basque Country”) is a different land. You can feel the difference, for sure.

A few hours later we were on another bus to Bilbao. We had A Very Long Night ahead of us.

Lesson Learned: Traveling within Spain is expensive, relative to traveling from Spain to other countries. Have AT LEAST 100 Euro with you for a single weekend. You learn something new everyday, whether deliberately or inadvertently.

A New Friend! Smile, Lilly!

I met a sweet married woman, Lillian, from Nigeria. I learned a lot about her experience as an extranjero in Spain. Great conversation!

Sunday was a big day! Rain or Shine we were exploring the famous city of Bilbao (apparently rain is quite common in Bilbao).

Mely and I before hopping on our Bilbao tour!

We opted for a tour of the city in the rain (via Bilbao Metro or Tranvia). 

Your Friend and Mine, the Bilbao Metro

..And, It was wonderful! 

Like I said, Rain or Shine!

A Bit About Bilbao

A Succinct and Energetic Account of a Bilbao(an) Experience:

http://climberchica.blogspot.com/2007/07/some-facts-about-bilbao-and-basque.html

And There's More!

• Bilbao is the capital of the province of Vizcaya, which is situated in the western part of the Basque Counrty, in northern Spain. 
• Bilbao is considered to be a financial and economic centre of the region
• It is also one of Europe's main reference points for architecture and contemporary art (e.g. GUGGENHEIM)
• Bilbao may soon need to be identified as BG or AG (Before Guggenheim, After Guggenheim). Never has a single monument or art and architecture so radically changed a city or, for that matter - a whole nation, and in this case two - Spain and the semiautonomous region of Spain - the Basque country, or by its official name - Euskadi. 
• Aside from Spanish, the locals have a linguistically mysterious, non Indo - European language of their own - Euskera. 
• More Info about the famous city and its beautiful sites: http://www.europe-cities.com/en/573/spain/bilbao/  

I wasted no time after the city tour. I ran straight to the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao where I passed 4 lovely hours exploring various forms of contemporary art! It was great.

The Guggenheim Museum

I would have definitely stayed for another 3 had I not been committed to catching the earlier bus home (9 hours from Bilbao to Valencia.) I learned quite a lot at the Museum and saw several noteworthy works!

Jeff Koon’s Sculpure, “Puppy”

This sculpture is modified TWICE per year: Autumn and Spring

There are 30,000 Titanium Panels covering the Museum building 

Temporary Exhibitions that caught my eye:

• Henry Rousseau’s “Hungry Lion Throws Itself on the Antelope” is considered to be “rich art”. I agree. It is a beautiful piece.

• The Learning Through Art Exhibition was inspiring! On display is the art produced by 184 school kids (ages 6 to 12 years) in the LTA program.

A statement that resonated with me: “Art becomes a tool of discovery, exploration [it serves to] apprehend reality – it enables kids to gain a creative, personal perspective of the world.”

• Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibition (200+ works!)

Mr. Wright, "El Norteamericano"

Another stimulating idea: “Architecture encourages social interaction and integration with the natural world…his mission is to inspire us to think about architecture as a vital extension of daily life”.

• “Haunted” Collection (kind of eery/dark):

Joan Jonas: "Mirror Piece", 1969

Susan Phillipsz: "The Lost Reflection", 2007

A Chilly One..

Anthony Goicolea: “Nail Biter”

A Glimpse from the Exterior!

I love Koon’s “Tulips”

Yves Klein's "Fire Fountain"

Louise Bourgeosis' "Maman"

There are 4 Guggenheim Museums in the World. Bilbao, Spain. NYC, New York. Venice, Italy. Berlin, Germany.

The Interior Portion of the Museum is beautiful! (I wasn’t permitted to take photos inside) Excellent work, Sir Frank Gehry (Canada!). 

Frank Gehry and his masterpiece, featured in the Simpsons

The exterior, particularly in the evening, is equally stunning!

Needless to say, I sat in Zero Espazioa for significant amount of time. 

Zero Espazioa

Here the Museum offers guests interactive presentations, a myriad books filled with history, paintings, sculptures and models constructed by contemporary artists through out the world.

Before departure we stopped by a great café, where we encouraged to try “pinxtos” (pronounced peen-chos) of the north (Basque Country).

Pinxto (Pincho) Time

A more Authentic Illustration of the Northern "Pinxtos"

What a Weekend: Logrono, Vitoria and Bilbao in a single weekend! Thanks, Mely, for the invite!

In the meantime, there a few things I feel compelled to share with you all:

Olive oil is both DELICIOUS and INEXPENSIVE here in Spain. The girls and I go through a bottle in less than a week sometimes.

My students are fantastic! We are having each students from every grade create their own English storybook. It is awe-inspiring how artistic/creative they are! It’s a gift! I loved listening to each group perform their designated parts.

The Three Brothers & A Real Cowboy were a hit in the 4^th and 6^th grades!

Silly Bandz are VERY much in fashion at school (and apparently among internationally renowned entertainers).
Maybe I can use silly bands to teach my students some new vocabulary!

Shakira in Concert,  Barcelona November 24

What are Silly Bandz?

Silly Bandz are made of silicone rubber formed into shapes including animals, objects, numbers, and letters. They are distributed by BCP Imports and are normally worn as bracelets.

Silly Bandz come in hundreds of different shapes and colors. On a wrist, they function like a regular bracelet, and when taken off they revert to their original shape. They are often worn many at a time and are traded like other collectibles. They can also be used for their original intent—as a regular rubber band. It is not recommended, however, to use them as hair ties, as they can get stuck in hair and pull out your hair.

The original shaped silicone rubber bands were created in 2002 by a Japanese design team who wanted to introduce a more environmentally-sustainable rubber band as an office product. Robert Croak, owner of Toledo, Ohio-based BCP Imports (known for distributing the Livestrong wristbands), encountered the bands on a business trip and decided to re-purpose them as a toy by making them larger and thicker, and marketing them as a kids' fashion accessory.

 Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_Bandz

I still CAN’T BELIEVE I live here. There are so many beautiful places to choose from for exercise enthusiasts in Valencia

> Malvarosa Beach

> The City of Arts and Sciences:
- A really enthusiastic visitor! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwDTWmy63RQ

- Much more formal presentation of the Cuidad de las Artes y las Ciencias: http://tv.cac.es/index.php?lang=en&id=100

It is breathtaking, particularly in the evening!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRCLPp6IthU&NR=1
I wish I could find a video that did the PM sites justice. For now, this will suffice.

 Hasta Pronto/See you soon!

A Taste of Barcelona

10/31

Michelle, I am in your zone! (2009)

I am sitting here in the train from the Barcelona airport. I hear an accordian playing in the backgrond. Lovely Italian music. 

Maria, Ted, Isabella and I

Soon I would meet fellow Fulbrighter, Ted, and his wife Isabella. They are INCREDIBLE. Ted, you are a saint. A few hours later (after attempting to go to Yoga with Isabella, the class was sporadically cancelled), we started walking towards the BEACH! The weather was magnificent and the walk through the infamous (LA) RAMBLA was quite lovely! We passed by the C.Colombus monument (he is kind of a big deal in Spain, you know!)  that apparently has an elevator inside: for 8 Euro you can see all of Barcelona. Barcelona is beautiful! I decided to take it easy on the siteseeing today (next time Sagrada Familia) and opted for the beach with my generous hosts. We stopped by another Fulbrighter´s place on our way down. Maria´s apartment reminds me of a chic Ikea ad. It, too, is lovely. 

Entering the infamous LA RAMBLA of Barcelona

Monument honoring Christopher Colombus
Apparently, for 8 Euro one can ride an elevator (inside this structure) to the top and see all of Barcelona!

A Beautiful Stroll to the Beach, no?

 I stayed at the beach a few hours and actually walked the entire length of it in one hour! I hadn´t been to the beach in a while. I was finally able to relax on my own, listen to Maria´s music and just – reboot! Maria and I went back to her place, where she prepared a DELICIOUS meal. I tried Roobois tea for the first time! 

  
 I learned a great deal about Maria (researching Genetics here in Barcelona) in the span of an hour. Most profound to me was the fact that she founded, as an undergraduate, and an organization that hires students to tutor fellow students in the sciences: biology, chemistry, biochem, etc. SHE IS STILL OVERSEEING THE ORGANIZATION AS A FULBRIGHTER IN SPAIN. The PHD/MD candidate is INCREDIBLE.

The Conductor consoles me before the 5 hour bus ride back home to VALENCIA
Bittersweet (per usual)

Ten FABULOUS Facts about Barcelona

• There are two Spanish legends on the founding of Barcelona. One legend says that it was founded by Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome, but according to the other legend, the city was founded by the Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, in the 3rd century BC, and it has got its name from the great Barca family of Carthage. 
• Barcelona is the capital of Spain's autonomous region, Catalonia. Located in the comarca of Barcelonès, the city has always been the focus of Catalan separatism and striving for its independence. Today's Barcelona is one of the most cosmopolitan and economically most active cities of the world. 
• Barcelona is the center of Modernist architecture. It is particularly known for Antoní Gaudí's architectural masterpieces. Some of the major works of Gaudí include Casa Vicens, Palau Güell, College of the Teresianas, Church of Colònia Güell, Casa Calvet, Casa Batlló, Casa Milà (La Pedrera), Park Güell, and Sagrada Família. 
• La Sagrada Família, one of the major works of Antoní Gaudí, is still under construction in Barcelona. The construction of the monumental Roman Catholic basilica began in 1882, and Gaudí worked on the architectural gem for over 40 years and devoted the last 15 years of his life solely to the this project. 
• St. George's Day is the National Feast in Catalonia. It is known as "Diada de Sant Jordi" in Catalan. In Barcelona, St. George's Day, 23 April, is traditionally celebrated by gifting roses and books to loved ones. Inspired from the custom, UNESCO declared the day as the International Day of Books. 
• La Rambla is the major center of activities in Barcelona. It is an iconic & busy street in central Barcelona. It is the place where you can enjoy delicious Spanish foods at many restaurants, and find the finest places for shopping. It's an extremely popular place, with an average of about 150,000 people walk along it every day. Interesting! 
• Barna Centre - Barri Gòtic is the center of the old city of Barcelona. It has many buildings dating from medieval times, and some even from as far back as the Roman settlement of Barcelona. It's a popular tourist attraction that attracts over one million visitors every week. 
• Portal de l'Àngel is one of the most popular pedestrian streets in Spain. It is located in the Ciutat Vella district by Plaça Catalunya. The thoroughfare is so popular that around 3,500 people walk through it every hour. It's really amazing! 
• FC Barcelona is a famous sports club based in Barcelona. The club is best known for its football team. With the seating capacity for 100,000 people, FC is the biggest privately owned stadium in the world. It is one of the most visited tourist attractions of Barcelona. 
• Barcelona Wax Museum, officially known as Museu de Cera, is the Spain's answer to the Madame Tussaud's in London. Located at the port end of the Ramblas in a rather old-fashioned 19th century building, the museum features world's most famous sports personalities, musicians and statesmen.

Switzerland: Tio Mauro is Mike Myers

I sit here drinking my bottle of Evian (The film, Superstar, incessantly creeps into my mind! MRod can identify).

OH, THE LIFE OF A SWISS IN AUTUMN. I arrived in Ginebra (Geneva) at 11 AM and, despite my fatigue, we did not stop until I really needed to rest. With three varieties of Chocolate Products made in Spain (as if they are comparable to those in Switzerland), I met my uncle (actually my Dad’s BEST FRIEND from childhood), Mauro, and his adorable 9-year old son, Massimo (kind of like Maximus, in English. GREAT name) at the airport. I can not even describe how elated I was to finally meet the man my father has always incorporated into his crazy stores of his younger years, or joventud. Mauro (who I maintain looks exactly like Mike Myers!) is a bundle of joy. 

Massimo & Tio Mauro (MIKE MYERS)

Compare now, please.

After spending an entire day with him, I think it is fair to say that he may be one of the most caring, generous and fun loving individuals I have yet to meet! He’s a Swiss/Mexi, is married to a sweet, beautiful and very modest Swiss woman, Jocelyne.  I am fascinated by the fact that Mauro (native Spanish speaker) speaks perfect French, though he is committed to speaking to his son in Spanish. (It’s cute. Massimo always initiates conversation and responds to Mauro in French). Mauro also has another son, Anthony, whom I met when we returned from my first tour of the city. [Yes, Tio (Uncle) Mauro has an itinerary for the next few days! Yes, he is amazing.] Anthony is 25 and is currently serving for the Swiss Army (it is compulsory). Oh yes, he owns a Saltillo Blanket – made in Mexico – (it serves as a sheet atop his bed) that I plan on purchasing the MINUTE I arrive to Abuela’s Esther’s house)

Look at those colors!

Tio Mauro wasted no time when I returned. He gave me a tour of their beautiful, colorful home and prepared a delicious lunch for us. After assuring him that I was more than ready to do some exploring (yes, I was EXHAUSTED and still a bit nausea from the previous night at the airport), we were off to experience Geneva! We hopped on a bus so Tio could show me the myriad  buildings that civilians are blessed to pass on a daily basis! It's exciting that Geneva is the home of:

The Palace of the United Nations (Place de naciones unidas)

Our Tour Guide

 A lovely Park right next to his home! I am sure you already know how blissful I was as I witnessed groups of people playing futbol.

Really neat, Water Jet!

Rising majestically from the lake is the Jet d'Eau (Water Jet) shooting water 460 feet into the air and is one of the largest fountains in the world. Check out this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsslMiIw-8U

World Health Organization (Organizacion mundial de la salud)

Want BREATHTAKING Mountains? Look no further (Colorado may not even be comparable)

The Broken Chair

A Monumental sculpture in wood by Swiss artist Daniel Berset, constructed by the carpenter Louis Genève. (5.5 tons of wood and is 12 metres (39 feet) high).

It is, indeed, a giant chair with a broken leg and stands across the street from the Palace of Nations. It symbolises opposition to land mines and cluster bombs, and apparently serves as a reminder to politicians. (Wikipedia is our friend.) 

The most lovely autumn weather. The trees are majestic and the weather during the day is PERFECT. The sun is beaming, the air is crisp. It pleasantly reminded me of Autumn in Connecticut. =)

- The “Center”: Aside from the Hundreds of Stores Common to All (i.e. Gucci, Prada), I did not realize how many popular products sold in the US are from Switzerland (Chocolate products, Swatch, RICOLA, Swiss Army Knives, Cheese)

- MANOR Shopping Center (Corte Ingles on stereoids! I am infatuated)

 Musee International of the Red Cross

(Tio even treated me to the Museum. This is by far my favorite part of yesterday’s tour. Fascinating and inspiring)(http://www.micr.org/e/exhib/explore_permanent_e.html) Oh yes, The pictures are FAR better than mine (naturally)

-  Organization of International Telecommunication (Organizacion Internacional de telecommunicaciones)

- Le Lavaux

-Chateau de Gruyeres (Oh, you shall see!) Noteworthy: Gruyeres is INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED for its cheese products (FONDUE lovers heaven)

I am very impressed by the overall cleanliness and organization of the city. It is very well maintained and a very safe environment. The main religion practiced here is Protestantism (Calvin influence, anyone?), though there is a beautiful Orthodox church and Synagogue nearby. Indeed, I saw the most adorable Jewish family (I was honestly just staring at the 3 children: 2 boys and 2 girls) walking in the street on our way to the bus. Tio says there are a significant number of Jewish families in the area. It is also worth noting that Geneva has the high standard/cost of living in the world! There are homes here that cost 30,000 Franks per month!

I am infatuated with this Orthodox Church

The following day..

I took a “nap” the minute I returned from my first day in Switzerland, or Suiza. It has now been TEN HOURS since I laid down to rest! Perhaps I needed to recuperate from the 9 hour Airport visit and weeklong bug that left me “quarantined” (which, according to Senor Prosper, is not an appropriate word to use because 5 days is no where close to the 40 days involved in the actual process). 

Ah yes, how could I forget? HAPPY HALLOWEEN. Yes, it is officially October 31^st (Happy Birthday, Elisa!) Interesting, I will be spending Halloween in both Swizerland and Barcelona.  I will be leaving in approximately 3 hours for Barcelona where I will spend the day with fellow Fulbrighter, Ted, and his lovely wife! It will be my first time in Barca. I hope it goes well.

Again, Halloween is a bigger deal here than I thought! My school celebrated Halloween this Thursday and my Tia Chelo (native Valenciana) recently e-mailed:
“HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!! Dressing up? Enjoy, there will be lots going around in Valencia, as I assume you already know about!! Well, all over the country, it wasn´t popular years ago, not a tradition to dress up, but it´s getting big!! Enjoy!!”

In the meantime, I just can NOT get enough of this beautiful family with whom I have had the HONOR of spending my weekend here in Switzerland. They are unbelievable. I am having SO MUCH FUN with these four. Massimo and Anthony are like the brothers I never had. The former is so outgoing and spontaneous and the later is so timid. Perfect pair if you ask me! We spent the entire day in a lovely city called Gruyeres (internationally known for their cheese products, mind you). The drive from Geneva was breathtaking, as you can imagine. I have never seen mountains like these before! Indeed, I probably said “Oh my gosh!” over 75 times (easily) within an hour and one half. Of course, to the boys these gorgeous products of nature were no big deal – you know, just the norm!

It was really such a treat! We made a few stops on our way up to Gruyeres. I learned several neat things about the history and the geography of Geneva these past few days – Mauro and Jocelyne are so knowledgeable about Switzerland. It’s a pleasure listening to them. It is fantastic; Tio speaks in Spanish and Joecylen speaks both English and Spanish! It is amazing how close we are to France (2 hour drive, more or less, depending on your destination!).

Today is a new day! We are off to the Mountains (Chateau de Gruyeres) and to the “Old Town”. (Please see album. There is a PLETHORA of photos for you all).

Satiating our Appetites before Show time! Check out that FONDUE.

"Adaliss, remember the story I was tellling you!" Tio was very excited! Minutes before he had shared his nugget of knowledge with me re: the cow migration to the mountains during the summer. Go to: http://www.swissworld.org/en/switzerland/swiss_specials/swiss_cheese/making_cheese/

First time exposure to a fondue fork! I can not take how adorable you are, Massimo.

Time for some Swiss Cafe. Note: the cream and sugar!

View of Gruyeres from the Castle!
Can you imagine living here?

"Gruyères stands in the midst of the Fribourg green pre-Alpine foothills. The castle, one of the most prestigious in Switzerland, towers majestically above the medieval town.
The tour of the castle offers a walk through eight centuries of architecture, history and culture."

Extracted from the official website: http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/index.html

The "Old Town" of Geneva is incredible in the evening! (The comfortably crisp Autumn weather definitely enhanced the experience - Memories of home in Connecticut).



Please do take this 2 minute tour of the town! : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmgmNxEvAgM

Unfortunately, I took only half the photos I wished to take (See Album, my dear friends). I took over 200 photos in 2 days. Does this surprise you…at all? Perhaps I am just an excitable person. OR maybe Switzerland is one of the most phenomenal places you will ever experience (particularly in the Fall and loving/generous family friends)!

Tio's Famous Hot Sauce

For 3 servings:

- Chile morita (5)- Red Tomato (1/2)- Peanuts or Mixed Nuts (Salt Already added / in Sea Salt) (12-14)- Garlic (3 cloves)- Onion (1/2)
 1. Take Chile Morita. Roast in olive oil with half of onion, 3 cloves garlic, halved (bad part of the garlic found in the center; dog stomach cause problems)2. Add tomatoes3. Add a bit of water4. Put all in the blender5. Finally add lemon drops of green (fresh lemons Are preferred)

Next Stop...Barcelona