I started off the day with a light breakfast and free coffee in the hostel. Chatted with a young New Zealand girl and cool guy from the Netherlands. At 10:30am, my 2 new friends and I left for the walking tour. The guide took us to Plaza Catalunya where we split into groups as there were 2 tours to take and you could choose English or Spanish. I decided to take the Gothic tour of Old Town Barcelona, which was recommended as the first tour. Our guide's name was Carlos and he was quite the character. He was Brazilian, but was living in Catalonia with his Italian wife. He provided us a great tour with a lot of history. We walked down "the street", La Rambla (which he told us to never ever buy anything at as it was very expensive) and went through city streets with good chocolates and wine. I definitely want to return to the chocolate street. He pointed out Granja La Pallaresa as the best place in Barcelona to get churros and chocolate. Apparently you get a cup of chocolate to dip your churro and it is the best thing ever. I'm trying to eat fairly healthy on this trip, but I may need to just try this once.
We proceeded to see the medieval wall that the Romans built, a market, the only true cathedral in Barcelona, an old Roman graveyard and finally the harbor. Afterwards, Carlos offered to take us to a local restaurant that has a great Fideua, which is a Catalan version on paella that has small noodles instead of rice. The meals were all 3 course meals and I ended up deciding on seafood paella with mussels, clams, squid and a prawn (I actually ate all the seafood! So proud of myself!), bacalao (salted cod) and an apple cake. I had no idea what I ordered for the dessert until it came. I decided to just take my best guess on what it was an winged it. It was delicious and a good choice. Thankfully, I only ate about half the paella, otherwise I would have been beyond stuffed. Even 3 hours after I finished eating, I was still very full. As I eat every 2-3 hours, this was not normal for me. But it was great to have a traditional Spanish meal at a place that was not for tourists.
After the meal, I decided to just walk around Barcelona. My offline map app had kicked me out for some reason, so I was without a map. I knew where to find La Rambla, though, and figured I could find my way back to the hostel from there. Worst case scenerio, I had the address and could ask directions to the street (which I ended up doing later after walking an extra mile or two). It was cool to walk along the marina in Barcelonam, check out the beach and then finish up exploring the area around La Rambla. After stopping in the grocery strore, where I found some almond milk and fruit, I headed back in the direction of the hostel. After walking for a while and not seeing my street, I stopped in a store and showed the gentleman the address. He was kind enough to look up the google map for me and allowed me to check it out and figure out where to go. I was very grateful and walked the few more blocks to my hostel.
I ate a small dinner of a jamon and havarti sandwich, fruit and salad and spent a couple hours talking to the Dutch guy. He was super cool to talk to and I look forward to hanging out a bit more. He is also the first European vegan that I've ever met. He told me that it doesn't go over well around here as many just don't understand his decision to not eat meat or anything that comes from animals. His reasoning is that it is healthier to eat plant based foods. Although, I have taken the challenge of teaching him about wine. We also talked a lot about American politics (of course) and traveling. He would like to go visit the west coast of the US, renting an RV with friends and driving from Vancouver, BC down to Washington and Oregon. I told him that he would love Portland as they are so vegan friendly and have many options that would fit his lifestyle.
Well, Day 2 has come to an end. I'm hoping that I'll sleep better tonight. The first night was a bit rough and I woke up several times. I still was able to probably get 7 or so hours of sleep, so I felt refreshed for the day. After walking around for the better part of 9 hours, I'm definitely ready for bed. I got in nearly 20k steps and burned 3100 calories (whooo!!).
Friday, May 27, 2016
Off to Barcelona!
Today is the day that I have been waiting for since I booked my flight last October. I had an early afternoon flight, so arrived at the airport a little before noon. I have to say that it was great to not have an early flight. The check-in was pretty seamless and I got through security quickly with TSA pre-check.
The first flight from Portland to Amsterdam was quite long. It was a 10 hour flight arriving in Amsterdam at 8:30 am local time. I had been hoping to get some sleep on the flight that left at 1:30 pm PST. For this reason, I made sure to wake up at 3:30 am so I would be tired. Sadly, this was a mistake and I only took a power nap on that flight for under 2 hours. I did get to watch a couple newer movies though - Deadpool and 5th Wave.
I also got great service and meals throughout the flight. I had read something about bringing treats for the flight attendants and let me tell you that I did that and they made it a great flight for me! The attendant that I gave the cookies and mini Starburst to made a point to ask for my name and seat number and told me that this was very much appreciated and does not go unnoticed. Later on, I was given some free wine (could have had more, but my tummy was not feeling well, so I declined). Just before the flight was done, they also gave me a little Delta travel kit filled with goodies like mouthwash, toothbrush/toothpaste, earplugs and sleeping mask. It was a very nice gesture. But really, I could tell that it made their day to get treats from a customer and that made my day all by itself.
For the meals, I had put in a special request for food about a month ago. I knew that you could request vegetarian meals, but had no idea of the list of others that you could request. I put in a request for low fat, low calorie meals. They served 3 meals on that flight - dinner, sandwich snack and continental breakfast. All of my meals were served before everyone else and they were really healthy! No treats included, but a lot of veggies, fruit and whole wheat bread. It was fantastic. I think the lady next to me was a little jealous...until she saw that she got brownies and cookies in her meal. I was very happy though.
I finally arrived in Amsterdam and as I was switching airlines, had to check in for my next flight and make sure that my bags were checked into that one as well. The lady at the transfer station made this a seamless transition for me and I was able to go about my day quickly. I spent the layover getting a good long walk around the airport on my very swollen feet. I also got my first European latte macchiato of the trip. No syrup either! That was a big deal for me.
My flights on Alitalia to Rome then Barcelona were seamless. They served free wine and a sandwich on each flight. My layover in Rome was so short that I walked to the next gate and we started boarding in about 5 minutes. But I was happy to be on my way to Barcelona finally. I did get a good amount of sleep on both of those flights.
I arrived in Barcelona just before 5 pm local time. I got a little bit nervous as I waited for my bag since the entire flight had already come and gone. Did my bag make the check-in to the new airline? Was it still in Amsterdam or Rome? As I watched the number dwindle down to about 3 bags on the conveyor belt, I saw mine and felt like I could finally breathe.
After I got my bag, I made my way to customs. What was odd was that there was only a declaration stand and no customs agents. So, I walked through the area with nothing to declare and right out to arrivals. It was a little bizzare and I was a bit sad to not get a Spain stamp. I made it down to the Metro with instructions on which train to take and to where. The first instructions were incorrect, so I asked for help to get to a particular station and the security guy was very helpful in tell me which station to get off at to switch trains.
Checked into the Mediterranean Youth Hostel just a few blocks from the famous Plaza Catalunya at around 7 pm. I had planned to grab something quick for dinner, but discovered that the group dinner of tapas was happening at 9 pm for only 6 Euros. That was too good to pass up, so I signed up for that and got a small snack of fruit, cheese and jamon (Spanish ham) across the street from the grocery store.
The tapas dinner was fantastic and maybe a bit too much food. It included cheese, olives, croquettas, small french fries, roasted potatoes with an orange sauce, homemade aiioli and bread. It was delicious and enjoyed while talking to new people. I met a could guys from California and New Zealand and we decided to go on the walking tour tomorrow morning together.
Overall, it was a long, but good day. It is definitely time for bed now. Hoping I can get some sleep and be refreshed for the morning.
The first flight from Portland to Amsterdam was quite long. It was a 10 hour flight arriving in Amsterdam at 8:30 am local time. I had been hoping to get some sleep on the flight that left at 1:30 pm PST. For this reason, I made sure to wake up at 3:30 am so I would be tired. Sadly, this was a mistake and I only took a power nap on that flight for under 2 hours. I did get to watch a couple newer movies though - Deadpool and 5th Wave.
I also got great service and meals throughout the flight. I had read something about bringing treats for the flight attendants and let me tell you that I did that and they made it a great flight for me! The attendant that I gave the cookies and mini Starburst to made a point to ask for my name and seat number and told me that this was very much appreciated and does not go unnoticed. Later on, I was given some free wine (could have had more, but my tummy was not feeling well, so I declined). Just before the flight was done, they also gave me a little Delta travel kit filled with goodies like mouthwash, toothbrush/toothpaste, earplugs and sleeping mask. It was a very nice gesture. But really, I could tell that it made their day to get treats from a customer and that made my day all by itself.
For the meals, I had put in a special request for food about a month ago. I knew that you could request vegetarian meals, but had no idea of the list of others that you could request. I put in a request for low fat, low calorie meals. They served 3 meals on that flight - dinner, sandwich snack and continental breakfast. All of my meals were served before everyone else and they were really healthy! No treats included, but a lot of veggies, fruit and whole wheat bread. It was fantastic. I think the lady next to me was a little jealous...until she saw that she got brownies and cookies in her meal. I was very happy though.
I finally arrived in Amsterdam and as I was switching airlines, had to check in for my next flight and make sure that my bags were checked into that one as well. The lady at the transfer station made this a seamless transition for me and I was able to go about my day quickly. I spent the layover getting a good long walk around the airport on my very swollen feet. I also got my first European latte macchiato of the trip. No syrup either! That was a big deal for me.
My flights on Alitalia to Rome then Barcelona were seamless. They served free wine and a sandwich on each flight. My layover in Rome was so short that I walked to the next gate and we started boarding in about 5 minutes. But I was happy to be on my way to Barcelona finally. I did get a good amount of sleep on both of those flights.
I arrived in Barcelona just before 5 pm local time. I got a little bit nervous as I waited for my bag since the entire flight had already come and gone. Did my bag make the check-in to the new airline? Was it still in Amsterdam or Rome? As I watched the number dwindle down to about 3 bags on the conveyor belt, I saw mine and felt like I could finally breathe.
After I got my bag, I made my way to customs. What was odd was that there was only a declaration stand and no customs agents. So, I walked through the area with nothing to declare and right out to arrivals. It was a little bizzare and I was a bit sad to not get a Spain stamp. I made it down to the Metro with instructions on which train to take and to where. The first instructions were incorrect, so I asked for help to get to a particular station and the security guy was very helpful in tell me which station to get off at to switch trains.
Checked into the Mediterranean Youth Hostel just a few blocks from the famous Plaza Catalunya at around 7 pm. I had planned to grab something quick for dinner, but discovered that the group dinner of tapas was happening at 9 pm for only 6 Euros. That was too good to pass up, so I signed up for that and got a small snack of fruit, cheese and jamon (Spanish ham) across the street from the grocery store.
The tapas dinner was fantastic and maybe a bit too much food. It included cheese, olives, croquettas, small french fries, roasted potatoes with an orange sauce, homemade aiioli and bread. It was delicious and enjoyed while talking to new people. I met a could guys from California and New Zealand and we decided to go on the walking tour tomorrow morning together.
Overall, it was a long, but good day. It is definitely time for bed now. Hoping I can get some sleep and be refreshed for the morning.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
New adventure to Europe in 2016 - Barcelona, Lisbon, Oslo, Stockholm
I'm back!
After 2 years with serious withdrawals, I am headed back to Europe in 3 days. This will be a 17 day trip covering 4 countries - Spain, Portugal, Norway and Sweden. I have only been to Portugal, so the rest of the countries are all new to me.
I'm almost all packed, but the nerves are starting to set in. I have always tried to learn the language a bit prior to traveling, but with 4 countries, that's quite the task when I work full time and have other responsibilities. So, my plan is going to be learning basic words and phrases just before heading to each country and also having an offline dictionary that I can refer to. I purchased the Trulingo apps for each language, but have yet to try them out offline. Hoping that they work! It is definitely nice to be able to type in a phrase or word and have written and audio translations given to me immediately. I have a feeling that will especially help in restaurants. I like to eat where the locals do, so that generally means menus are not in English. There is the tip for everyone - you will get so much better food if you get out of the tourist area. If you see or hear no English in the restaurant, that is where you want to be.
I'm definitely excited for this trip and am fully expecting to have an incredible experience. Here is a quick breakdown of the trip:
May 24 - 25: Flying from Portland, OR to Barcelona (3 legs and approximately 14 hrs of flight time).
May 25 - 29: Exploring Barcelona, Spain. Staying at Mediterranean Youth Hostel.
May 29: Flying to Lisbon, Portugal on Vueling Airlines.
May 29 - June 1: Exporing Lisbon (including a day tour to Berlenga Island). Staying at Home Lisbon Hostel.
June 1: Flying very late on Norwegian Air to Oslo, Norway. Staying at Gardemoen Hotel B&B near the airport.
June 2 - 5: Taking the train into Oslo and exploring the city (including renting a car for one day to visit the Telemark region where my mother's family is originally from). Staying at an AirBnB flat with a Norwegian woman named Marion.
June 5: Taking the train from Oslo to Stockholm, Sweden.
June 5-9: Exploring Stockholm. Staying at the Castanea Old Town Hostel in Gamla Stan area.
June 9: Saying goodbye once again to Europe and flying to Seattle through Reykyavik, Iceland.
That's all for now! Will be back on my arrival to Barcelona on May 25th.
After 2 years with serious withdrawals, I am headed back to Europe in 3 days. This will be a 17 day trip covering 4 countries - Spain, Portugal, Norway and Sweden. I have only been to Portugal, so the rest of the countries are all new to me.
I'm almost all packed, but the nerves are starting to set in. I have always tried to learn the language a bit prior to traveling, but with 4 countries, that's quite the task when I work full time and have other responsibilities. So, my plan is going to be learning basic words and phrases just before heading to each country and also having an offline dictionary that I can refer to. I purchased the Trulingo apps for each language, but have yet to try them out offline. Hoping that they work! It is definitely nice to be able to type in a phrase or word and have written and audio translations given to me immediately. I have a feeling that will especially help in restaurants. I like to eat where the locals do, so that generally means menus are not in English. There is the tip for everyone - you will get so much better food if you get out of the tourist area. If you see or hear no English in the restaurant, that is where you want to be.
I'm definitely excited for this trip and am fully expecting to have an incredible experience. Here is a quick breakdown of the trip:
May 24 - 25: Flying from Portland, OR to Barcelona (3 legs and approximately 14 hrs of flight time).
May 25 - 29: Exploring Barcelona, Spain. Staying at Mediterranean Youth Hostel.
May 29: Flying to Lisbon, Portugal on Vueling Airlines.
May 29 - June 1: Exporing Lisbon (including a day tour to Berlenga Island). Staying at Home Lisbon Hostel.
June 1: Flying very late on Norwegian Air to Oslo, Norway. Staying at Gardemoen Hotel B&B near the airport.
June 2 - 5: Taking the train into Oslo and exploring the city (including renting a car for one day to visit the Telemark region where my mother's family is originally from). Staying at an AirBnB flat with a Norwegian woman named Marion.
June 5: Taking the train from Oslo to Stockholm, Sweden.
June 5-9: Exploring Stockholm. Staying at the Castanea Old Town Hostel in Gamla Stan area.
June 9: Saying goodbye once again to Europe and flying to Seattle through Reykyavik, Iceland.
That's all for now! Will be back on my arrival to Barcelona on May 25th.
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